T H ^ D u iL s T I iJ :; A Ji ;c
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Volrnne XXll, Nunber 1 January, 1966
Publications Coiranittee: T'^Argot Timscn, Chairman; Harry Andretra; James Fordj
Evelyn Isaacs; Anrelo Msmmanoj "Tildred R. Somes, Artist;
Sarah 1I« Usher, Indexcr; Kathleen ''ard.
Publication Date; Deadline for submitting material:
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
P!?ESIDEKT'S IIQTES
The January meeting of the Executive Board was held on Friday, January 13,
1967.
The Board discussed the question of "collective barpjaining" and the proposed
amendments to the Constitution relative thereto*
V/e xjish to remind the members that the Constitution provides in Article Vll
that: "This Constitution may be amended at ar^ annual meeting by a standing vote
in the affirmative of trio-thirds of the m^embers present and votinp provided that
previous notice of each proposed amendment has been fjiven in vjritinr: to the
membership at the same time that the required notice of the annual meetin'' is
sent to each bibliothecal unit of the library".
VJe had hoped that the Coffee Shop would have been improved by the addition of
hot food and refrigeration, but despite mai^ promises, nothinf?; has been done.
The Concessions Committee has been instructed to investigate this matter.
Do not forget that the annual mcctin<^ of the Association tJill be held on
Friday, January 27, 1967 at 9:15 A.II. in the Lecture Hall.
LOUIS POLISHCXIC
•JHKHJ-X-JHS-M**
FLASrj The quarterly issue of the Question Nark will be delayed because of lack of
typists. V'e are making every effort to have the stencils reac^ as soon as
possible. Anyone interested in helpln(T out by typin<7 a stencil - please
see the Editor.
-1-
SCAP BOX
SDITOR'S NOTE: An unusual phenomenon happened concerning this issue of the QM
Memo, The Editor received on]y two questions through the mail.
But just before publication date xjhile in the Coffee Shop, on the
t33TA, or askinr; people for information for the quarterly issue,
maiy staff members said, "Oh, say, I've got a question for you".
In two days via this process and a good memory I feathered five
more questions. Granted it is difficult to fret authoritative
answers to these questions on short notice before the deadline,
but all authorities involved have driven their utmost cooperation.
The Editor is certainly willing to jot dovm any questions to the
QI-T a Staff Association member mi^ht ask ai^jhere and anytime.
Certainly the questions and ansviers are most beneficial to all of
the staff.
To the l^ditor:
i#iat will happen when all the buildings behind the Central Library are torn
doxm? I have heard that a temporary parkinr^ lot xdJJ. be nui until construction
begins ,
Inquiring
Mr, Connolly reports that no parking lot will be installed because of the time
involved to put in a special fill. Hopefully the annex iTill be torn doim in the
late suirmer and perhaps earlier, A fence id.ll be constructed around the lot
until construction begins late this year or early 1968,
To the Editor of the QM:
When will the Coffee Shop have hot coffee?
Hungaiy
It ■was thought that a gas line would be installed in the Coffee Shop several
weeks ago but obviously this is not the caseo The. Concessions Committee
has been asked by the Executive Board to re-examine this problem.
To the Editor:
Where are the staff library books? Why not place this staff library in the
bookcases of the lounge above the Coffee Shop? I have heard that it is
located in the basement of the Roslindale Branch, What good is it doing there?
Interested
Mr. McNiff discussed this question with Mr. Carroll and Miss MacDonald, and
It was agreed that the staff library should be brought back to Central and be
placed in the bookshelves in the lounge. After a truck has brought back
this collection (about 3^00 volumes) it will be weeded first and brought up-to-
date.
To the Editor:
What is the story on taking one-half hour lunches and leaving at four-thirty?
Some departments do this.
Father Time
-3-
Personnel Office reports that Department Heads and Division Heads regulate
schedules. Personnel Office states that a Y-hour day is the regrolation but
irfiether this is 9«5 (vrith one hour for lunch) or 9-U:30 (with ^ hour for
lunch) is up to the departments.
To the Editor:
Since the last issue of the QM Memo mentioned ventilation, is there anything
being planned about better ventilation in the Coffee Shop and loxinge? Where
is the fan that is supposed to be installed?
Smarting Eyes;
A fan is ready but will not be installed until the demolition is finished
which will probably be in the Fall, By installing the fan now conditions
would only be worse.
To the Editor:
1, Wh^y has not the association taken any action to act as the bargaining
agent for the bibliothecal enployees df the Boston Public Library?
?• If the Staff Association were to act as the bargaining agent, would it be
necessary to raise dues to a level comparable to that of a union local
which seeks to be the bargaining agent, approximately $2.50 a month?
3. What would the dues be used for?
U. Could the Association act as the bargaining agent without increasing the
dues?
Ex Libris
The President of the Association answers :
1. No action was taken in 1966, for the reason that a vote of the membership
prohibited the President from doing anything relating to collective
bargaining. No action was authorized at any of the later business meetings.
2\ and 3» Acting as the collective bargaining unit for the st.iff would
include negotiation for and the preparation of contracts. It would be
unwise to carry on such activities without legal service from experts in
the field of labor relations. Such expenses would have to be paid by the
members, and would result in increased dues.
U. It is possible if no legal expenses were incurred.
To the Editor:
1, What is the policy on starring books for the Reference Division?
?, What is the policy on circulating books from Long Island?
Reporting from the Director's Office:
1. All books 1967- bought for the Reference Division will not circulate,
A new system of acquisition is in effect whereby all Curators will order
books for the Reference Division and indicate whether a copy should
be purchased for the General Library* Stars •«• will not be used to
indicate non-circulation. In the future the book number labels will
indicate the collection to which the book belongs. Plain labels
indicate branch books. Red bordered labels indicate Reference Division
books and blue-bordered labels indicate General Library books. The
labels have been ordered and should be in the building in February,
The catalog cards will state whether there is a copy of a book in
the General Library,
Books purchased prior to 196? will continue on the old policy of
starred books non-circulating. The books which presently circulate
that are a part of the Reference Division will continue to do so until
the collection in the General Library is expanded.
2» The books now in storage on Long Island will be used only in the
building as they are a part of the Reference collection. One of the
main reasons for instituting this policy now is to expedite the
reclassification of the Long Island books to Library of Congress
classification.
Editor's Note: Excuse the typing please.
™
UGstion
rs/^
A\^K
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
FEBRUARY 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
_Volume XXI. Number 2 February. 1966
Publications Cominittee: Harry Andrews? Ruth Goddardj Katherine Herron;
Evelyn Isaacs; Geneive Moloney; Mildred R. Somes, Artist;
Sarah M. Usher, Indexer; Stephen R. Miller, Chairman.
Publication Date: Deadline for submitting material:
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
SETTING OUR SIGHTS ... An editorial
When one starts out on a new venture he generally sets goals for himself and
atteirpts as well as he can to outline his program and procedure with an end in mind.
Where others are involved he relates these goals and procedures to them so that they
too might have an inkling of where the road may lead.
The purpose of this first editorial, then, is just what is indicated above. We
hope to relate to the members of the Staff Association just what we feel the policy
of THE QUESTION MARK should be. We will try to uphold this policy to the best of
our abilities at all times.
The purposes of the B.P.L.S.A. appear at the beginning of each issue of the
Q.M. They are very clear in themselves. The purposes of the Staff Association
newspaper appear in the constitution and are also clear enough, VJe do, however,
desire to comment on a portion of those objectives to clarify our publication pdicy.
THE QUESTION MARK is not a vehicle for personal attack on any individual or
group of individuals. We hope articles which are in the best interest of the Staff
Association, the Boston Public Library and the library profession as a vAiole will
be forthcoming. We wish to encourage material -vdiich cJiscusses problems maturely
and intelligently.
We give our entire support to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press, We
welcome comment on the materials which appear within these pages. We ask only that
articles or letters which are to be considered for publication be well thought-out,
intelligently presented, and in the best interests of all concerned.
Starting out in this vein vre can only hope that our management of this publi-
cation vdll be successful, and that those articles which do appear in these pages
in the coming months will be a credit to the Staff Association and to the Boston
Public Library,
THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
- 2 -
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
take an active part in the association.
The first meeting of the new Executive
Board was held on Friday, February 11,
1966.
The New Editor of THE QUESTION MARK,
Stephen Miller was introduced to the
Board and he presented his views and plans
concerning the publication of THE ^ESTION
MARK.
Various committee appointments were dis-
cussedj as were job announcements and
anniversary increases. Also discussed
was the work of the committee on in-eervios
training. The Executive Board voted that
the Entertainment Committee make plans
for one social event during this year.
The President has had several discus-
sions with the Director and the Super-
visor of General Library Operations. Bolh
of them have indicated a desire to keep
the lines of CDOTmiinication between their
offices and the Staff Association open,
working toward the very desirable objec-
tive of a well-informed, happy staff, and
the resultant good library seirvice.
The Administrators of the Library have
expressed their awareness of the urgent
need for revised salary schedules. Their
goal is to provide adequate and equitable
salaries as soon as budgetary conditions
permit.
The demolition of the annex to the Cen-
tral Library building is planned for the
near future. This will olaviously create
a serious problem of space. Every avail-
able space is being surveyed for possible
use. The staff lounges and lunch rooms
are to be moved to make room for inport-
ant library departments, and for the
shipping room. The Coffee Shop is located
in the annex and will be lost when the
annex is demolished. A generoiis part of
the limited space in the old building is
being made available for the lounges,
lunch rooms and the Coffee Shop, in the
areas formerly occupied by the Bookmobile
Office, The rebuilding of the Coffee Shq:
presents problems of carpentry, plumbing,
electrical work, and ventilation. The
Staff Association is working closely with
the Concessionaire in this regard.
Members of the Staff Association will b^
asked to serve on various committees.
You are urged to participate in "committee
work". Most committee members enjoy this
work, and it will give you a chance to
LOUIS POLISHOOK
M.L.A. MID-VJIHTER MEETING
The Massachusetts Library Association
held its mid-winter meeting at the
Sheraton Plaza Hotel on Thursday, Febru-
ary 16, 1966. The theme was The New Look
in Library Buildings . The well-planned
program and meetings moved comfortably on
schedule under the guiding hand of the
President, Milton E, Lord,
The treasurer's report at the business
meeting showed that the Association has
financial difficulties which may be
solved by raising the dues, Larry
Wikander, A.L.A. Councillor, reported
that the A.L.A. Executive Board decided
it was too conplicated to withdraw mem-
bership from institutional members who
discriminated against users on the basis
of color, creed, etc. To do this would
require changes in the constitution of
A,L.A, and of each state chapter.
Arlene Hope, representative for New
York and New England for the library con-
struction program for the Library Services
Branch, U,S, Dept, of Education, recom-
mended reading the February^ I966 ALA
BULLETIN and the January issue of SCHOOL
LIBRARY JOURNAL for recent information
on federal library legislation. Twenty
of the programs are concerned with money
for services. New York has received
$1,000,000 to convert two floors of the
Constable building for use as a library
for students. In this connection Miss
Hope stressed the need for analysis of
the user, to find out how he really uses
n libraryl A. flossy new building intim-
idates and repels people who have never
used a library.
The Library Services Construction Act
expires June 30, 1966, but a new bill
has been introduced to update and in-
crease the amount of money for services
and construction,
Mrs. Genevieve Galick announced that
the Gale Free Library in Holden had
received one of the six national Dorothy
Canfield Fisher awards.
At the conference on library buildings
Kenneth Shaffer, Director, School of
Library Science, Pinmons College, said
that too many library buildings are not
- 3 -
functional and even ugly. The architect
as an artist should create an object of
beauty and of enduring qualities. As a
functional engineer he is responsible for
the relationships inside the building.
The librarian deals with the Board of
Trustees, its Building Committee, and
often with the building committee of the
city. He also considers the public. Mr,
Shaffer hopes for the developrasnt of
advisory services in the state area and
of authority to decide what kinds and
qualities of buildings should be built.
The architect. Nelson W. Aldrich, be-
lieves the success of library planning
depends on the library consultant. The
architect is the middleman between the
library and the contractor and represents
the voice of the people. If a choice is
necessary, the architect decides for
esthetics over function.
The luncheon speaker was Austin Olney,
of Houghton Mifflin Co, Mr, Olney con-
tinued the architecture theme by describ-
ing Ihe atmosphere and characteristic
features of four English publishing
houses that proudly maintain the old look;
A,L.A. MID-WIMEER
Young Adult Services Division
Plans and projects revealed at the
Young Adult Services Division meetings at
the A.L.A. Midwinter Conference promise
to be of interest and importance to li-
brarians working with young adults in
Boston,
First of all are the plans for the 1966
New York Conference to be held July 10-16
and, especially, the Pre-Conference on
disadvantaged youth to be held July 8, 9,
and 10 at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronx-
ville. New York,
The theme of Pre-Conference is Two
Blocks Apart and it will concern methods
of identifying and reaching all dis-
advantaged youth — Negroes, Mexicans, In-
dians, Puerto Ricans as well as mateiT.aIly
advantaged but culturally disadvantaged
young people. At some sessions there vail
be speakers; at others Conference partici-
pants will be divided into small dis-
cussion groups. Each registrant will har/e
the opportunity to choose the group which
is disccasing a topic in which he is
particularly interested. At the Friday
evening meeting, Charlotte Mayerson, whose
book provided the title of the Pre-Confer-
ence theme, will hold a conversation with .
Margaret Scoggin of the New York Public
Library, Registration for this Pre-Con-
ference is limited and applications will
appear only in TOP OF THE NEWS, It will
be essential to register immediately in
order to take part in what promises to be
an outstanding series of meetings.
For the New York Conference, Y.A.S.D.
has planned a discussion meeting. Librar-
ians and editors and promotion men from
the major publishers will meet in small
groups to discuss young adult books.
Again it will be necessary to register
early since each participant may choose
the group of books that she cashes to read
and be prepared to discuss at the meeting.
This is an all-morning session which will
take place on Thursday, July lUth,
Young aduit workers who have used A.L.A,
lists will be glad to hear that several
new ones are now ready and others are in
preparation. OUTSTANDING THEATRE FOR THE
COLLEGE BOUND is being distributed now as
is a reWsion of OUTSTANDING FICTION FOR
THE COLLEGE BOUND. The list, OUTSTANDING
BIOGRAPHY FOR THE COLIEGE BOUND, is being
revised and a similar list of poetry is in
the making, A committee is working on a
new RICHER BY ASIA revised and lengthened
to include films. SIGNIFICANT ADULT BOOKS
FOR YOUNG ADULTS, 1965, for which we par-
ticipated in the voting, will be distribu-
ted in time for National Library Week use.
This Midwinter Conference vras the last
A,L.A, meeting in v4aich Miss Mildred
Batcheldor, Executive Secretary of both
Y.A.S.D. and C.S.D., would officially
participate. Miss Batcheldor is retiring
in May, She was honored at a luncheon
which gave the many librarians from all
over the country an opportunity to say
'thank you' for her invaluable help
throughout the years and 'Bon Voyage' for
her projected trip abroad as soon as her
A.L.A, duties are finished,
ROSE MOORAGHIAN
■?HHHH<-
•JHHHB4-
■JHHMBf
Don't forget to visit the Library's
exhibit at the WINTERFEST, February 18-27,
1966.
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BRING BACK THE GOOD OLD DAYS???
BOSTON EVENING GLOBE October 3, 1901
FDR BOYS AND GIRLS
Latest Examination at the Public
Library. This was for the Lowest
Grade in the Service — Salary $3.50.
General Appearance of ^aper has
much to do with the result.
There are no civil-service examinations
held probably in which the boys and girls
of New England are so deeply interested
as those which have to be passed to enter
the service of the Boston Public Library.
Yesterday afternoon 23 boys and lit girls
took the examination for grade E, which
is the lowest grade in the service and
for which the salary is $3.50 during the
first six months, when there is an ad-
vance to $5.00, with the further oppor-
tunity of taking examinations for higher
grades.
It will be seen from the character of
the questions in the examination of yes-
terday that a boy or girl must have a
fairly good education to enter even this
grade of the library. The scope of the
questions would imply at least a high
school education.
The general appearance of the paper — in
spelling, handwriting, neatness, etc. —is
one of the tests of merit and counts for
much with the library officials.
Three hours were allowed for answering
the questions, tdiich were as follows:
1. Correct the following sentences
and give the reason for each correc-
tion:
(a) It laid there in the grass all
night,
(b) Most every one goes by the new
road,
(c) I never did so poor in examin-
ation before,
(d) Neither John nor Mary were pre-
sent,
(e) Grammar teaches us to speak pro-
per.
(f) In what state did you say the
8ity of Cleveland was?
S', Fill the blanks in the following
with shall or will:
(a) I do not know when I return.
(b) They not do it if I can pre-
vent it.
(c) When — — he return my new book?
3. Name two empires, two republics and
one kingdom of Europe? Give the cap-
ital of each.
Ii, Give the location of each of the
fdObwing: Phillippine Islands, Azores,
Hawaii, Corsica, St, Helena,
5, Give an account of the war of the
rebellion (civil war. United States)
covering (a) causes, (b) one important
battle, (c) results of the war,
6, Give the location of each of the
following places and mention an histori-
cal event connected with each: Ticonder-
oga. White Plains, Louisburg, Gettysburg,
York town,
7, Name five important seaports of con-
tinental Europe and give the country in
which each is located.
8, Find the cost, at $l6.50 a ton of
five bales of hay averaging 225 pounds
each.
9, At vtfiat price must stock paying k per
cent be bought in order that 5 per cent
may be realized on the investment,
10, Name three modem poets and two
modem novelists and give the title of a
prominent work by each,
11. Give the author of each of the follow-
ing works: (a) "Conquest of Mexico,"
(b) "Oregon Trail," (c) "Ramona,"
(d) "Ben Hur."
12, Give the principal works of two of
the following: Piske, Hawthorne, Lowell,
Tennyson,
13. Fill the blanks in the following with
proper forms of lie or lay: (a) His the
book here long? (b) I shall
down for an hour, (c) He — — quite
still all the morning,
lij. Write sentences containing the
possessive singular of the feminine of
lad, hero, duke, actorj the possessive
plural of the masculine of aunt, queen,
widow,
NOTES FROM COPLEY SQUARE
A Nasty Month for Book Selection H.R.&C.S.
January was Casualty Month in the office
of Book Selection, H.R.&C,S, Heading the
list was Grace Marvin, cast in the un-
welcome role of Innocent Bystander who
gets into trouble without doing anything
to deserve it. It was incredible to those
who heard the first reports of the Boyl-
ston Street disaster on January 28 to hear
- 5 -
her
named as among those injured. It was
equally disturbing to have to wait so
long to confirm the report and to find
out whether she had been seriously hurt.
Well, she had been, A scalp wound re-
quiring twenty stitches is about as
serious as she cares to get. And she hadj
of course, not even been in that Gilded
Cage J She was just wending her way down
Boylston Street to the elevated station
and had reached the Savings Bank when the
street blew up around her, V&iich goes to
show you that savings banks do not offer
all the protection they claim to. They
are all right if it's raining rain or
violets, but when it's raining masonry,
manhole covers and building blocks they
are no safer than any other place.
Meanwhile, Mrs
Bd up — at least, a couple of her ribs had
and she was at home all trussed up like
A Candlemas goose. Miss Gray and Mrs.
Lehane were endeavoring to cope, and
following Mrs. Obear's favorite injunc-
tion to "hold a finger in the dike*"
This they were doing with the best old
Dutch touch but they were relieved to
find that help was on the way in the per-
son of Patricia Neth who had decided to
cause consternation by becoming a college
dropout. However, before VJashington
could organize a rehabilitation program
around her. Book Selection had snaggled
her again. Welcome back, PatJ
By the time this report appears, we
hope that all crises are over and that
the staff is suffering from nothing more
serious than being buried under the first
avalanche of Spring books, ¥e all realize
that Miss Marvin's recuperation will be
a long and gradual one, and we share in
the general concern for her welfare, and
hope for her continued and complete re-
covery very soon.
Clair left with a sincere appreciation of
the training which he had received in the
Boston Public Library, fitting him for his
position,
GARDENER'S DELIGHT
Tired of the snow am slueh? Weary of
cold and gloomy skies? Longing for that
first crocus to pop out on Commonwealth
Avenue? Then "Waiting for Spring," the
current exhibition in the Treasure Room
of the Central Library is just what you
need to brighten your outlook.
From the varied collections of Rare Book
have been brought together books and man-
uscripts ranging from the fifteenth to the
twentieth centviry. Here is a Book of
Obear had finally crack-JHours with iris and pinks blooming on its
borders, incunabula with quaint woodcuts,
and splendid colored engravings by Redout^
and other botanical artists. Are you
planning a little garden in yov^ auburban
plot? Plates showing the great formal
gardens of European, royalty may not offer
too many concrete suggestions— but one can
always dreamt
But the exhibit is much more than a
pictorial display. There are important
milestones in the history of botanical
description, and helpful treatises for the
practical gardener, (Extensive marginal
notes in several volixmes testify to the
value they had for their early owners.)
Even medical botany is covered. And per-
haps most interesting of all to those of
us who yearly struggle to coax blooms
from the reluctant earth is "the gardener's
diploma," awarded in Copenhagen in 1718,
The exhibit will remain on display
through April,
PERSONALITIES
MR. ST. CLAIR GOES ACR(^S THE RIVER
Norbert St. Clair who left Catalcg:'..ng
and Classification, Rr. and R„S, on Janu-
ary 28, 1966, to accept employment in the
M.I.T, Library, was given a coffee-break
farewell by his co-workers. As a token
of their esteem, Mr, St. Clair was
presented with a handsome monogrammed
goatskin wallet containing a bill (so
he ' 11 never"^o broke" ) and wished much
success in his new position, Mr, St,
At the January meeting of the Staff
Association new officers for the coming
year were elected. They are as follows:
Louis Polishcok, Central Charging Records,
President; Warren Harrington, South Boston,
Vice-President J Rhoda Blacker, South End,
:Tread-;irer| Dorothy Ekstrom, Memorial,
Recording Secretary; and Marion McCarthy,
Education, Corresponding Secretary. Linda
Ivers of Dorchester and Columba Bartolini
of North End were elected to the executive
board. Geraldine Beck of Hyde Park and
Sadie Rotondo, Adams Street are still
n 6 •«
members of the executive board through
1966.
Each fconth THE QUESTION MARK will carry
a column dntitled 'Personalities ' « Over
the next few months we will introduce the
members of the executive and publications
committee. Our first portrait will be
of Mr. Polishook, the new President of
the B.P.L.S.A.
Louis Polishook, who is now Chief of
Central Charging Records, came to the
B.P.L. as a mere boy some 31 years ago.
He was educated at Suffolk University
where he received an LLB, and he graduated
from the Bently School of Accounting and
Finance. He has also attended the State
College of the Spoken V/ord and the Army
Administration School,
Mr, Polishook is married and lives with
his wife, Grace, in Newton, They have
two children; Harlan, who is a sophomore
at Tufts, and Nancy who is a sophomore at
Newton High School,
When not pursuing his favorite pastimes
of studying law, accounting and taxes,
Louis generally spends his spare time
reading, and (New England weather permit-
ting) playing golf er swimming. He also
enjoys bowling.
Congratulations, Louis, on your elec-
tion as President of the B.P.L.S.A,
BRANCH NOTES
Hyde Park
On a beautiful, brisk moonlit night,
the staff of Hyde Park gathered at. the
LAFAYETTE HOUSE in Foxboro for dinner.
Our original purpose was a Christmas
party, but with the promotion of Mr&,
Geraldine Beck to Branch Librarian, we
added a surprise celebration for her good
fortune and our bad fortune in losing her
to Washington Village, We had a most
enjoyable evening and Mrs. Beck tsb3 given
an appropriate gift. After the dinner
and exchange of gifts, we gathered in the
lounge where Sumner Fryhon took colored
pictures of the group. Mr, Fryhon also
received a surprise when the waitress
brought a strawberry ice-cream pie with
a lighted candle to celebrate his birth-
day.
South Boston
On Friday evening, January 21st, at the
Officers' Club of the Fargo Building and
under the sponsorship of Colonel and Mrs,
James B. Mullin, the past and present mem-
bers of the staff of South Boston gathered
at a dinner party in honor of their recent-
ly retired branch librarian, Mrs. Irene
H. Tuttle. Mrs. Moulton, mother of the
guest of honor, and branch librarian ,
Miss Marjorie M. Gibbons, newest member
of the South Boston staff, were among the
party. Amid general good humor, high
spirits, delicate viands, fine speeches,
poetic recitation of original verse com-
posed by staff bard, Edward Lunny, dedi-
cated songs, and an all pervading conviv-
iality, Mrs. Tuttle was presented with a
bone china sugar and creamer set, a fitting
complement to the series of bone china
cups and saucers which had been her Christ-
mas -time mementos from the staff through
the years. Radiantly young and ravishing
in a bright red dress, Mrs. Tuttle rose
to the occasion by reading off her own
individual prophecies of a variety of
glorious and joyfilled futures for each
person on her staff. We, too, wish for
Mrs, Tuttle an equally glorious and joy-
ous future doing whatever it is she wants
to do in the many, many years ahead. Good
luck, Irene I You take with you our love,
our respect, and our appreciation J
THE STAFF
PERSONNEL NOTES
New Employe es i
Burgess Nichols— Book Stack Seirvice
Linda Wallace — Book Stack Service
Gail M, Devlin— Division Office, H.R.&C.S.
Robert Brown— Book Stack Service
Katherine Dibble— Egles ton Square
James Mondello — Book Stack Service
Mariam Shuman— Connolly
Sherry Moore — Book Stack Service
Gordon Perrotti — Book Stack Service
Bfrs. Preseau — Bookmobiles
Elizabeth Barlow — South Boston
Temily Weiner — Book Stack Service
Transfers?
Patricia Neth— Division Office, H.R.&C.S.
to Book Selection, H.R.& C.S.
Mary Ellen Flynn— Jamaica Plain to North
End
Estelle B, Kite— Egleston Square to Adams
Street
Judith Noren— ^dams Street to Orient Height:
Dianne M. Mullally — Charlestown to Adams St^
" 7 "
Transfers (continued) ;
Katharine Mackey— ^Roslindale to CharlestoWi
Richard Campagna — Receiving, Shipping,
Stock and Supplies to Book Purchasing
Terminations ;
Jerry Greenglass— Book Stack Service, re-
signed.
William Hanway— Book Stack Service, to re-
turn to college,
Sydney Potter— Book Stack Service, reaignec
Patrick Potega— Book Selection, R. andR, Si
to return to college
Elinor Wing— Mattapan, to attend library
school on a full-time basis.
Priscilla Feinstein — Book Selection, H.R,
and C.S,, resigned.
Maternity Leave ;
Mrs» Diana Mizzarelli— Fine Arts
VISIT TO CCfUNTWAY LIBRARY
On December 7, 196$, members of the
staff visited the Countway Medical Li-
brary of Harvard University, The trip
was arranged by Mr, McNiff, We were told
all the facts and figures about the li-
brary and then taken on a tour by staff
members. Some of the very latest tech-
niques in library science are being em-
ployed there at present and the plans for
the future look very exciting.
On our way out we were told to come
again either in groups or as individuals.
If you were one of the unlucky ones who
were unable to make the trip, it might be
well worth your while to go over to
Countway, tell them who you are, and ask
to be shoim around,
CONGRATULAnONS
SOAT^ JBOX
Any contribution to the Soap Box must be
accompanied by the full name of the Associ-
ation member submitting it, together with
the name of the Branch Library, Department,
or Office in which he or she is employed.
The name is vathheld from publication, or
a pen name is used, if the contributor so
requests. Anonymous contributions are not
given consideration. The author of the
article is known only to the Editor-in-
Chief. The contents of the articles ap-
pearing in the Soap Box are personal
opinions expressed by individual Associa-
tion members and their appearance does not
necessarily indicate that the Publications
Committee and the Association are in agree-
ment with the views expressed. Only those
contributions not containing more than 300
words will be accepted,
To the Soap Box;
Mary Hunter, a student at Cathedral
High School and a part-time assistant.
Cataloging and Classification, R. and R.S
received a $1,600 scholarship at Boston
College,
The TIMES of January 22 carried a letter
from a puzzled citizen vAio had seen books
outside the Donnell Branch Library waiting
to be taken to the incinerator. They were
in good condition, so he wanted to keep
some of them, but it was against the rules.
They had to be destroyed.
The New York Public Library's Chief of
•Circulation replied on February 3, Branch
books are city property, and may be dis-
posed of when no longer useful but must
not be sold. It would cost more than an
occasional exception was worth to consult
experts.
We are all familiar with this bureau-
cratic dodge. But the Donnell Branch is
a fairly recent addition, and was presvun-
ably stocked id.th new books vdiich can
easily be replaced, V'e here share the
problem and have the same valid excuse.
- 8 -
But there is one important difference.
When the public clamors for ANATOMY OF A
MUEDER or BY LOVE POSSESSED, we have to
buy 125 copies of each, and discard most
of them when the demand is over. But
Branch Issue is a unique small library,
with books quite different from the
ephemeral best sellers. And some of the
branches had been autonomous town librar-
ies before they joined us, with good col-
lections of their own. The slsughter of
many of those books in the last 12 — 13
years are memorialized in cold figures in
the Office of Records, Files, Statistics.
But the cultural loss to the Library and
the Community will need a Jeremiah to
lament properly. Not being a Jeremiah
and rapidly nearing the end of my allottee
300 words, I'll just say shame on the
perpetrators,
HARRY ANDREWS
To the Soap Box;
The answer to the NEV/ YORKER'S com-
plaint about discarded books was signed
CHIEF, CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT. How did
we here ever get saddled with highfalutin
honorifics like CHIEF LIBRARIAN? It is a
confusing and misleading designation, anc^
all things considered, must embarrass
even the holders. Years ago, vdien the
changes in nomenclature in our familiar
pastures here were first introduced, I
spoke out against the arid pedestrianism
of names like BOOK STACK and BOOK STOCK.
Such names lack color and imagination,
but at least they do not falsify. The
word LIBRARIAN in any given library can
apply only to the head of that library;
and the words CHIEF LIBRARIAN would apply
only if we had a national combination of
libraries.
If some things done in the past are to
be examined for change, I suggest that
the naming of things be added to the
agenda.
HARRY ANDREWS
To the Editor:
It has been stated that the Tuesday
afternoon administrative meetings are not
to be top secret sessions. And yet, the
staff is forced to depend upon gossip,
conjecture, and an occasional remark, in
order to follow the progress of the Tues-
day afternoon conclaves.
Granted, many discussions are not of
concern to the entire staff, but the de-
cisions which directly effect a specific
department or office should be detailed,
to all concerned., by the proper adminis-
trative representative.
Any large organization may harbor an ac-
tive gossip ring, a group of rumor carriers,
Certainly such "conjuring" can not be sub-
stituted for intelligent communication be-
tween administrator and staff.
Sincerely,
SOURED ON THE GRAPEVINE
LATE FLASH I J
Grace Marvin, (see page h) was welcomed
back today, February 17.
TV INTRODUCES B.P,L. TO PUBLIC
With the cooperation of the Staff, it
has been possible to tell the Library's
story on television. Every week, some
function, service, exhibit, or interesting
collection Las been the subject of a ten-
minute adult segment of Bob Emery's Big
Brother's Wc t Ld programs on Cho k»
You may want to watch the following pro-
grams on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m.:
Feb, 19 — Mildred Kaufman and Rev, Richard
S, Tierney, Gatholic Book Month,
Feb, 26— Sidney Starr, the scope of the
Fine Arts Department.
Mar, 5 — The program will include a brief
review of coming events in March; no one
from the B.P.L. will appear.
Mar, 12— Mrs. Ruth Sleeker, recent dis-
coveries in the Music Department,
Mar, 19 — Macy Margolis, local history
material in the B.P.L.
Watch tbe next QUESTION MARK for programs
on Ch, ^ and, possibly, Ch, 7. Also, the
next issue will tell more about Ch, ii's
programs to date.
Send comments and suggestions to Infor-
mation Office,
m
UGstion
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRAW
MARCH 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Voluine XXI, ^fuInber 3 March, 1966
Publications Committee: Harry Andrews; Ruth Goddard; Katherine Herronj
Evelyn Isaacs; Angelo Mammano; Genevieve Moloney;
Mildred R. Somes, Artist; Sarah M. Usher, Indexer;
Kathleen Ward; Stephen R, Miller, Chairman.
Publication Date: Deadline for submitting material:
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
EDITORIAL
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho...
and just because the walls come tumbling
down there's no reason to fight about it.
For the next few months walls at the
B.P.L. will literally be tumbling down. A
situation like this may cause strain on all
our tempers. If you're hit by a brick
don't let it get you down, and if the noise
bothers you, just turn yourheering aid off.
Concentrate on the picture of a new and
beautiful annex by 197-1
THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
- 2 -
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
A meeting of the Executive Board was
held on Friday, March ii.
The matter of committee chairmanship
and membership was brought up and the
Board voted that in order for all staff
members to have a better opportunity to
participate in Staff Association activi-
ties, a notice would be published in this
month's QUESTION MARK, (see below) re-
questing volunteers for committee chair-
manship and memberships. Please consider
this and volunteer for committee work.
The Executive Board discussed the re-
cent enactment of the Sales Tax, and its
effect on City of Boston employees sala-
ries. It was voted that the President
discuss this with the appropriate Library
officials, regarding the employees of the
Library and their salary scales.
We are awaiting more definite word on
the Coffee Shop. As soon as the problems
are worked out, and announcement will be
madeo
If any member of the Association has
any ideas or wishes any subject to be
e:cplored, they should feel free to
communicate with any officer of the Asso-
ciation,
LOUIS POLISHOOK
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
In order for all the staff to have a
better opportunity to participate in the
activities of the Association, the Execu-
tive Board requests that you indicate
your willingness to serve as chairman and
members of the various committees of the
Association, by sending your names and
the names of the committees on which you
wovild be willing to serve, to Marion
McCarthy, Corresponding Secretary, Educa-
tion Department, by April 1, 1966. .
Committees
Program
Entertainment — ^Richard Cronin, Chairman
Membership and Hospitality
Constitution
Publication — ^Already formed, (see Q.M.
masthead)
Staff Library
House Committee for Men and Women
Special Services
Bertha V, Hartzell Memorial
Personnel
Staff Organization Round Table (SORT)
CARE
Concession
PERSONNEL MOTES
New Employees :
Murray Rudnick— ^pen Shelf
Mrs, Julia S, Brecekeri — Book Selection
R. and R.S,
Elizabeth C, Barlow— South Boston
Linda Wallace— Book Stack Service
Sharon F, Whittemore — ^Rare Book
Janice E, Barber — Memorial
Maria Magnolia— Uphams Corner
Transfers ;
Carolyn Kirkham — from Connolly to Roslindale
Katherine Mackey—from Roslindale to
Charlestown
Winifred C. Frank— from Officer-in-Charge
to Personnel
Selma Horwitz — from Roslindale to Codman
Square
Terminations ;
Agnes Kelley — Faneuil, to return to college.
James Mercer— Bookmobiles, to return to
college.
Barbara Doran — Personnel, another position,
Anne Smith — ^Uphams Comer.
Richard Banfield — Book Stack Service, to
enter Military Service,
Grace Duffy — Codman Square, personal reasons
Phi Ills Patrick— Kirstein Business Branch,
to remain at home,
John J, Sullivan— 'History, Military leave,
Theodora B, Scoff, Branch Librarian,
Emeritus , is seriously ill-»»at the
Faulkner Hospital, 1153 Centre Street,
Jamaica Plain, 02130. Her friends might
like to send cards.
Rose Karaian, Branch Issue, is at the
Middlesex County Sanatorium, 775 Trapelo
Road, Waltham, Mass, 02l5ii. She loves to
receive cards.'
^
- 3 -
MRS. iiPA ANDELMAN RETIRES
"Ada, do you remember?"
February 22 was a beautiful day. The
Princess Room at the Somerset Hotel
looked gay and spring-like with its love-
ly decorations in shades of pink. The
guest of honor was chic and charming in
simple black, set off by the pearls
which were a gift from Andy, who was a
proud and happy escort.
With a ceremonial march of guests to
the head table the festivities began.
After a delicious luncheon a nostalgic
note was introduced when John Carroll,
Chief Librarian of the Home Reading and
Community Services, turned to Mrs. Ada
Andelman, retiring Supervisor of the Home
Reading Services and, with a musical
background provided by Angelo Mammano,
asked "Ada, do you remember the date
June 29, 1919?" Mrs. Andelman smiled
reminiscently and nodded, Mr. Carroll
read a tribute in verse written by
Lisette Tanck who also remembered the
arrival of a new "extra" who was to be-
come a well loved "super."
A TOAST TO ADA
It was a shiny yesterday
The place was Warren Street Branch —
I first met Ada Aserkoff
It was a happy chance.
She was little, she was sweet.
She was brown-eyed and so sincere
She was clever, she was keen
Quite the extra of the year!
I met her sister, Gertmde,
Her brothers: Loiiis and Abe
They were a close-knit family
With parents fine and brave.
Then Andy came upon the scene
To her his heart he gave.
The days went by as Ada worked.
East Boston was her new locale.
The job at hand she never shirked
Warren Street missed their old-time pal.
She climbed the ladder of success
With talent and endeavor
But to those she left on the lower rung
She is just the same as everl
Most of all she is sincere
Quite the "super" of the year,
Lisette Tanck
One after another the questions came:
"Ada, do you remember?" Our Ada's memory
was excellent. Each question brought forth
the answer and a story. This part of the
program was brought to a close with Mr.
Poli shook and all the guests joining in
with:
DO YOU REMEMBER SONG
(To be spoken first by Mr, Polishook with
musical background. Then group sing-alongj
Mr, Polishook ?
Ada, do you remember when
The phone rang all day and then
Next day it would start again —
"Please, oh please send someone to help us"
That's our favorite cry.
Test your memory
And Ada, do you remember how
You worked hard with great success
For someone to answer our S.O.S,
Group refrains; (one and two)
Dearie, days were busy
In those dizzy help-less years
Say you remember, if you remember
Then you'll be awfully glad you're not here.
Ada, days were busy
In those dizzy help-less years
Oh how we'll miss you
As we wish you
The best there is and then some,
COMMITTEE
with special credits to
Sarah Richman
and
Sheila Stevens
Mr, Carroll then invited the guests at
the head table to add their personal
tributes to Mrs. Andelman, This was fol-
lowed by the presentation of the gift; a
lovely after dinner soffee service in
sterling silver. After accepting the gift
Mrs. Andelman talked with her many friends.
Close to one hundred and thirty friends
gathered to honor this woman of quiet dig-
^ u -
nity who is always charming and gracious,
Mrs. Andelman is esteemed by her associ-
ates for her fundamental integrity, for
her helpfulness and friendliness. She
has gained the respect and admiration of
all for her capable and efficient hand-
ling of difficult situations, for her con-
tribution to the development of the brahnh
library service and for the high stand-
ards she set for herself and expected of
others. Her modest and. unassuming manner,
no less than her taot, endeared her to
many.
We know her many and varied interests
will keep her happily occupied in the
years ahead. Our good wishes accompany
her along the way,
Ruth M. Hayes
March 2, I966
Dear Friends,
My heartfelt thanks to all of you who
made my retirement luncheon such a memor-
able occasion. The ingenious and careful
planning made it perfect from beginning
to the end,
I am most grateful to the Committee vho
arranged it, to all of you who attended
and to the large number of friends who
contributed so generously to the gift
which was presented to me. The magnifi-
cent sterling silver coffee service is
something my husband and I shall treasure
to the end of our days.
If I may, I should like to repeat what
I said at the luncheon. My many years in
the library were extremely happy ones,
not only because I was doing work I en-
joyed but most in^jortant, I enjoyed the
people I had the pleasure to work with
and the many friends I made, I have a
great admiration for the work the library
is doing and for the employees who are
making it possible.
It is my hope, that when the time comes
for each and everyone of you to retire^
you will carry away with you as many
happy memories as I do.
Sincerely yours,
Ada A, Andelman
STAFF IN PRINT
In a recent article in THE PILOT en-
titled "Youth and Books Span World Horisons "
Philip J, McNiff looks at some of the ways
in which books and book services can con-
tribute to international understanding.
As opposed to news media, books are valu-
able in this area because they analyse
events, provide depth, and separate the
vital from the trivial. Publishers are
now providing moro translations and
authoritative paperbacks on history, geog-
raphy and culture of foreign lands, Read-
ing lists can be obtained from newsletters
of various organizations, from libraries,
and from the HEADLINE SERIES, published
by the world Affairs Counf\il. Mr, HcNiff
points out that not only books on history
and government are valuable, but also
poetry, plays, and biographies of paiople
in other lands.
■»■■»■■«■*■»•-;«■
An article by James J, Ford, Education,
was published recently in the February 6
issue of the BULLETIN of the Eire Society
of Boston. Titled The Printed Book in
Ireland it traces the growth of printing
in the country more commonly known to
bibliophiles for its illuminated manu-
scripts, especially the BOOK OF KELLS.
Exclusive rights to printing were given
to the King's Printer in Dublin when
printing was first introduced there j
various ambiguities of the rights of Irish
printers versus their English contempor-
aries combined to slow the growth of a
flourishing trade. Even today there is
little activity— only 13 countries pub-
lished fewer books than Ireland in 1^60,
■«■*•»■■«■■«■*
SEX EDUCATION. THE COMH)N DENOMINATOR
In a recent article in SCHOOL UBRARY
JOURNAL (January 15, 1966) Jace Manthorne
explores the responsibility of the library
to the needs of disadvantaged city
children. When parents fail to provide
guidance it is up to the librarian to
"unlock the books and put them within
reach of the young people who need th«m,"
They can provide sex education to people
in a wide range of ages and social levels.
-^-
and they can aim their programs at those i
who have already become the victims of
educational neglect and are living out-
side the realm of "respectability." In
the former class are programs such as
discussion groups -for parents and teen-
age programs at YMCA's. To help young
people in trouble librarians support
reading programs and give book-film pro-
grams for delinquent girls, for exanple.
To fill a vital need, libraries must re-
spond with practical action in book
selection, adjustment of circulation
rules, strengthening ties with social
agencies and developing a readiness to
relate reading to the needs of individual
lives,
B.P.L.S.A. PERSONALITIES
Rhoda Blacker, Branch librarian at
South End, was elected treasurer of the
Staff Association at the general meeting
in January, Before becoming branch li-
brarian in I96I4, Miss Blacker had been
a children's librarian with the B.P.L.
She was educated at Boston Teacher's
College and the The Simmons College
School of Library Science, She says that
when she is not occupied with the affairs
of running South End, she is interested
in music, the theater and in psychology.
Our only comment is that the Boston area
is certainly a good place to pursue these
interests .
BRANCH NOTES
On Thursday evening, February 17, Mem-
orial-Mt. Pleasant presented a Negro
History VJeek Program at Mt, Pleasant in
cooperation with the Quill Club of Great-
er Boston. The Quill Club is conposed of
Negro writers. Club members read from
the works of famous American Negroes, and
from their own original works. The pro-
gram was concluded with a bit of pantomim^
presented by the Junior and Senior Youth
Councils of the Boston Branch, NAACP.
They portrayed famous American Negroes,
and the audience was asked to guess their
identity, A "standing room only" crowd |
of almost 100 people attended the prograi^
and many remained to view the displays
and to enjoy the social hour that fol-
lowed. Among the many distinguished
guests present were: Philip McNiff,
Director; John Carroll, Chief Librarian,
H.R. and C.S.j and Kathleen Hegarty,
Coordinator of Adult Services.
A, H. Price
NOTES FROM COPLEY SQUARE
Mr, McNiff has just accepted the invi-
tation of Foster E, Mohrhardt, Chairman,
1966, Association of Research Libraries,
to chair the ARL Committee to develop a
program on Chinese materials.
At the same time, the Director agreed to
continue as ARL Farmington Plan Sub-
committee Chairman for the coming year,
Mr, McNiff has also accepted the invi-
tation of the President of the A.L.A.
(Robert Vosper) to serve as a member of
the Special Joint Committee on Libraries
and International Education,
The Library has also become a full par-
ticipant in recieving mateirial from Israel
under PL U80, This means that we will
receive all material published in that
country including fiction, non-fiction,
rabbinical tracts, and even pre-election
propaganda ,
*•»■■»•■«■-;«••»•
Mr, and Mrs, Edward (Helen) Harrington
will leave for Bitburg, Germany on March
28 to attend the wedding of their daughter,
Helen Marie and First Lt, Nicholas Peay
Jordan, USAF, Young Helen graduated from
the State College at Boston and served as
a reading consultant in the Boston School
System before going to Germany to teach
for the Air Force in their dependents'
school, Lt, Jordan is a graduate of the
University of North Carolina and is the
son of Mr, and Mrs, Harry T. Jordan of
1''ashington, D,C, A reception will be held
in the Officers ' Club following the cere-
mony. Have a good trip, folks, and much
happiness to Helen and Nick,
■«•■«•■» ■«• ■«• *
Frederick Aufiero, Book Stack Service,
will be inducted into the United States
Army, March l5. Though he has been in
the Library service only two years, he
quickly befriended the entire staff.
A surprise party was held at The Town
and Country, February 19 attended by some
- 6 ~
65 of his friends. The "Yankee Clippers'^
a local rock and roll group, provided j
the entertainment which lasted into the j
small hours of the morning, (One of
Fred's few absences was Sunday, the 20th)
Book Stack Service and all others who
have come in contact with Fred will miss
him.
POINT OF VIEW
Winterfest 1966
When the Winterfest 1966 programs were
announced in the Boston newspapers, there
seemed to be much to look forward to. In
one week's time we were to have opportun-
ities to attend concerts, ballet, theater,
lectures, puppet shows, and all at bar-
gain prices.' What were the favorable re-
actions after the event? Most of us
would be hard pressed to find any. One
problem was the lack of a proper setting.
The La Salle Quartet performed in a small
dining room in the Sheraton Hotel. While
the Quartet was playing, ticket-holders
walked in and out, some only staying for
a short while and then noisily leaving,
perhaps to savor some other bit of cul-
ture somewhere else. And there were
other distractions— the sound of dishes
rattling in a room to the back of the
musicians, of a hammer rhythiraiically tap
ping to the rear of the audience, and of
flashbulbs popping all through the music.
The Arena Theater, where Twelfth Night
was given a two-night stand, was even
worse a setting. This structure was
actually just a section of the Exhibitior
Area, set against the far wall. The
doors were made of cloth, which made it
very easy for sound from the Side Show
to travel through. Thus, the actors had
to compete with the barkers and an organ
playing gushy pop music over the sound
system.
The Auditorium has already proven its
inadequacy for musical purposes with its
convention hall-like atmosphere and poor
acoustics. The Boston Symphony concert
was hanpered not only by these consider-
ations, but also by the steady din from
the audience, which Mr, Leinsdorf, after
waiting an inordinate amount of time at
the podium before starting the concert
was unable to quell.
What was the purpose behind Winterfarce,
pardon me, Winterfest? What kind of plan-
ning is involved when no special area of
the arts is emphasized, and no appearance
is made by the Opera Company of Boston,
The Boston Ballet, or the Charles Play-
house? During the winter months, there
are hundreds of concerts and theatrical
performances given in Boston. Why do we
need more? Why not a Summerfest, now that
the Arts Festival has been cancelled for
the second consecutive summer? Ah, yes,
the Arts Festival seems to have gone the
way of the Boston Repertory Theater and
the Metropolitan Boston Arts Center, An-
other promising cultural endeavor hits
the dust. Whether Winterfest joins this
select group or not depends on its
directors and their aims.
Angelo Mammano
BOOK TITLES
S», Out, or Neglected?~Part I
A recent survey compiled by Library
Journal (Jan, 1, 1966 issue) attempts to
analyse briefly opinions on the books of
1965 which have wide or narrow applicabil-
ity for public libraiT.es, Sent to 60
libraries in the U.S., the survey consisted
of three questions:
1) Name one adult book published in 1965
vdiich should be on the shelf of virtually
every public library regardless of budget
or size,
2) Name one adult book vriiich should not
be on the shelves of any public library
(except for special collections)
3) Name one book which had merit but
which was likely to get less attention
than it deserved for various reasons — for-
mat, cost, insufficient notice in review-
ing media, etc.
Results showed that Sorenson's KENNEDY
and Samuel Eliot Morison's OXFORD HISTORY
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE topped the list
for question 1, with White's THE MAKING OF
THE PRESIDENT I96I4 running third. The
other titles in the list also revealed a
strong historical interest, as well as an
awareness of the civil rights issue.
Although the response to question two
provoked many objections (from librarians
self-concious of charges of censorship) it
r« ^ ^*
was a varied list, including such titles
as AN AMERICAN DREAM (N. Mailer), DON'T
STOP THE CARNIVAL (H. ¥ouk), and MISS
MACINTOSH-, -m DARLING (M. Young). ' At the
top with three votes each were TODAY IS
TONIGHT (Jean Harlow) and THE MEMOIRS OF
AN AMNESIAC (Oscar Levant).
The last question yielded the longest
list, with no title listed more than
twice. Among the possible reasons for
exclusion of worthy books by libraries
were the treatment of sex or race (cited
were THE ROSY CRUCIFICTION trilogy by
Henry Miller and MANCHIID IN THE PROMISED
LAND, by Claude Brown); poetry (books of
poems by M.B. Tolson and Ammons were on
the list); controversial politics (ATOMIC
DIPLOMACY by G. Alperovitz); and price
(NOT MAN APART, published by the Sierra
Club at $25.)
PART II
In a follow-up survey (issue of Feb, 1,
1966) LIBRARY JOURNAL sent its complete
list of titles garnered from the first
survey to 200 libraries of all sizes and
asked ihem to indicate which they had
bought or had on order. Results (obtainec^
12ii answering libraries) showed that 3
titles were held by all 12U: HERZOG (S.
Bellow), 'UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE (B. Kauf-
man), and THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT
I96U (T.H, White). Morison's OXFORD
HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE was held
by 122 libraries, Sorenson's KENNEDY by
116, and Brown's MANCHIID IN THE PROMISED
LAND by 9I4. The survey showed that I6
of the 29 titles chosen in the "In" cate-
gory by the panel were represented in
7S% or more of the libraries, a fairly
high degree of correspondence.
In the "Out" category, however, this
situation did not occur. The HARLOW book
was "excluded" as recommended by the
panel, but Levant's MEMOIRS OF AN AMNESIAC
was bought by 96 libraries. The books
by Wouk, Marguerite Young, and Mailer,
as well as Irwin Shaw's VOICES OF A SUM-
MER DAY, were held by a large majority of
libraries, contrary to the panel's
opinions. Even CANDY was in stock in 29
libraries.
In the third category, it turned out
that a majority of the books thought by
the panel to be neglected actually were
neglected. Miller's trilogy was in only
7.3 .of the libraries, but bottom place
(bought by 5 libraries) was won by Kohl's
AGE OF COMPLEXITY, probably because it
was published in paperback only. From
the list it appears that sex and poetry
are the surest roads to exclusion from
public libraries: Eberhart, Tolson, and
Ammons all placed very low on the list,
WINTERFEST AND THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
One way or another, winter or sximmer
(or both), Boston is going to have an arts
festival. Right now it is going through
the painful process of learning how to do
the job in a coirpetent, practical, profes-»
sional way. The significance of Winter-
fest, recently ended, lies most of all
in lessons learned which xaan be applied
to future festivals.
The Library's experience at Winterfest
illustrates the point. The B.P.L, accom-
plished more than it did a year ago, when
the War Memorial Auditorium was opened with
exhibitions, talks and musical events.
At the same time, V'interfest 's management
made it possible to accomplish more.
Last year the Library had to provide its
own insurance, to hire movers who carried
exhibition cases to the Auditorium and
back, and to arrange (and pay) for 2U-hour
guard service during the e3diibition. This
year, i-^interfest provided movers, arranged
for insurance (and paid for it), and
provided guard service as well. In addi-
tion, this year's show was made infinitely
easier to mount by means of an abundant
supply of door-size exhibition panels
designed by Tom Wong of the Boston Re-
development Authority, Special spot-
lighting, too, was available on request
from the Winterfest staff.
At the opening of the Auditorium last
year, tiie Library put on a single exhibi-
tion of manuscript and printed music,
rare books and prints, accompanied by
Louise Stimson's diorama, THE LONDON OF
DICKENS and a model of the forthcoming
West End Branch Libraiy, The backdrop
to all this, and a highly effective one,
was one of the Library's bookmobiles,
open and welcoming all comers.
This year, at Winterfest, the Library's
contributions were more extensive and
more varied. The North End Puppeteers,
from their base of operations at the new
North End Branch, brought performcrces of
- 8 -
puppet plays written by Geraldine Herrick
who is Librarian of the Branch, An in-
viting exhibit of books— books in abun-
dance, on open shelves, for any visitor to
pick up and browse in— was set »p by the
Library in the Auditoidum's second-floor
exhibition hall, A profusion of visitors
availed themselves of chairs which pro-
vided a rare chance to rest their weary
feet. Also on the second floor, the
Library staged a large and lavish exhibi-
tion of prints by Toulouse-Lautrec — fifty-
two of them in all, including some of the
most famous pictorial images in western
art.
Quite a job for the Library, but a long-
term gain, was the necessity of making
frames for all fifty-two prints. The Li-
brary purchased moldings and glass, the
Carpenter Shop expertly put the frames to-
gether in standard sizes, and the result
was not only handsome framing of tJie ex-
hibition but also, fur the first time, a
stock of frames which the Print Depart-
ment can use for loan exhibitions to
institutions with limited equipment of
this sort,
Winterfest, many observers felt, was
worthwhile thovigh somewhat chaotic. Con-
fusing, surprising, and often rewarding,
depending on vrtiere you happened to be and
what you happened to see, were the crowd
of exhibits in the two vast exhibition
halls adjoining the War Memorial Auditor-
ium, No one has yet proved that an order- man's heart and mind into a coherent whole.
ly and coherent grouping of exhibits— of
art, at least — is possible in these feigan- supplied, at least in part, by the man at
tic halls in which the height, floor to
ceiling, is extremely limited (ll^ feet)
in delation to the great reaches of horl-
Siontal space. The halls are well suited
for widpt-cpen exhibitions of automobiles
or motor boats or farm machinery— but
bring in panels on which to hang paint-
ings and prints, and immediately barriers
are created, both to movement and to the
roving eye trying to comprehend what the
hall contains. Only the most expert and
sophisticated planning might overcome
this problem in the future. Signs hung
from the ceiling, over some exhibits,
certainly helped — and more signs, both
high up and at eye level, are certainly
going to be one of the essentials in
future arts festivals held at the Auditor-
iiim,
AnotJaer esaerifcial, in future exhibitions
will be more skillful allocation of space.
Winterfest had the staff to seek out the
consent of various institutions to stage
exhibits— but not enough manpower to find
out exactly what each show would contain,
what its quality and visual impact would be.
Consequently, space was allotted without
precise knowledge of the quality or "carry-
ing power" of each show. Future festivals
will need to know exactly what's coming,
long before it arrives.
The Cultural Foundation of Boston, which
organized V^interfest at Mayor Collins '
request, holds the promise of becoming a
small, local, expert tivil service of the
arts, A governmental venture in the same
direction, which hopefully will become a
permanent organization by legislative act
this year, is the Massachusetts State
Council on the Arts and Humanities. The
Foundation and the Council, one centmred
on Boston and the other with statewide
scope, but both with kindred desires to
bring the arts to a larger audience, ceuld
be potent allies in financing and arranging
further arts festivals and other eiiltural
activities.
If an arts festival is to have sustained
success in Boston, both public and private
financial support will be necessary; so will
the kind of permanent staff (now solidly
established in Edinburgh) idaich knows how
to gather music, art, drama, ballet, jnovies,
the poet's voice and kindred expressions of
The element of imagination and daring is
the top, serving as spokesman and public
representative for the festival and being,
as well, a focal point for new ideas. Eli
Goldston, general chairman of Winterfest
and founder of the Cultural Foundation of
Boston, is by far the ablest leader in
this field that Boston has seen. It is to
be hoped weAall have the benefit of moi*e
of his leadership in years to com6«
Boston can aspire to the quality of
Edinburgh's annual experience; tber«, the
festival is a community event; stores
salute it in their windows, libraries and
other institutions all over the city stage
supporting exhibitions, and yon arearare
of it not just in the viciniiy of the con-
cert halls and art galleries but in many
different parts of the city. A "frir^e"
of university and amateiu* production^ (c
, of tbaiH, taking itr +'
ij.i.^ f —
- 9 "
I
pression, was "Beyond the Fringe") flour-
ishes in little meeting halls, gymnasiiuiis
and auditoriums all over Edinburgh, It
hardly needs to be said that visitors
come from afar for the Festival's three
weeks. Edinburgh is thronged and bubbling
over with life. And the staff of the
Festival sees to it that each individual
event gets extensive publicity. The
visitor finds it easy to know v*iat's go-
ing on and vAiat's in the offing. Boston
hasn't reached that level of expertise
and community commitment yet, but we 're
getting there.
Sinclair Hitching s
PAPIER-MACHE SCULPTURES AT WINTERFEST
In February Boston's Winterfest was
held in the War Memorial Auditorium. On
view was a cross section of the Arts that
can be found in and around Massachusetts,
One of the most colorful and talked
about exhibits was a series of Paper-Macli
sculptures made by Nikki de Saint-Phalle,
She is a French woman who has her home
and studio outside of Paris. She began
making these figures with the help of her
ten-year-old son a few years ago. They
have grown in popularity enough so that
they are priced from $9.00 to |U,000.
Unfortunately I was unable to find if
they have become popular enough for any
of them to have been sold.
During the first few days of the exhi-
bit very little was known about them.
There were no signs explaining the fig-
ures and many questions were asked. A
reporter gave me prcea releases to read,
which helped considerably.
The figures were brightly colored
women called Nanas. Nana is comparable
to our slang expression of "dames" or
"broads" and each is named after a friend
of Miss Saint-Phalle, The artist claims
to be an anti -feminist and this is proven
with one look at her work.
They range in size from a couple of
feet tall to one spectacular woman well
over six feet. Their width is all basic
ally the same., .enormous.' They are
buxom, have huge protruding stomachs with
derriers to match, and short unshapely
legs. This is topped off by a minute
head capable of holding only the tinest
of brains. Their coloring is bright and
gay. They are just plain fun to look at.
Kathleen Ward
CONVERSATION
Do you have any books on ancient Indians?
Not in this department. You'll have to
consult the catalog at the other end of
the floor.
I did, but I didn't find anything.
Under what subject did you look?
Ctiy I looked at the books, but I didn't
find anything.
We have closed stacks and you'll have
to use the catalog to find out what books
we have on your subject. The librarian
at the desk near the fireplace will help
you.
Oh, you mean the little drawers that pull
out?
(Conversation between a Reference Li-
brarian and a high school student, show-
ing the folly of assximing our librarianese
is generally understood. It also indicates
the difficulty of using the Central Library.)
TIMELY VERSE..~TO A LIBRARIAN :
The world has been automatized as every
schoolboy knows
Machines translate all poetry to basic
English prose
High speed icagnetic Kemories quantize
essential truth
And store sufficient estimates of Mary
and of Ruth
The music of the future will use random
number themes
and waste no microseconds futilely en-
coding dreams
So when you catalog the dawn or class
the lily stem
Don't file it Dewey Decimal but punch it
IBM.
- Will.iam Puller Brown, Jr,,
VERSES IN THE M3DERN MANNER
(from AD LIB — TEE Indianapolis Library
Association) 2/2I4/66
- 10 -
haps the greatest of all gifts, but in-
telligence malevolently used is perhaps
the worst of all sins, I remember read-
ing years ago, probably in the APOLOGIA of
Newman, the phrase CORRUPTIO OPTIMI
PESSIMA, the corruption of the best is
worst, or as Shakespeare says, lilies that
fester are worse than weeds.
Therefore, when you start to evaluate a
personality for the Library, don't jiist
check his Intelligence Quotient. Not his
IQ, but his MIQ, partjcularly in iir^wrt-
ant positions.
Any contribution to the Soap Box must b«
accompanied by the full name of the Asso-
ciation member submitting it, together
wjth the name of the Branch Library, De-
partment, or Office in which he or she is
enployed. The name is withheld from pub-
lication, or a pen name is used, if the
contributor so requests. Anonymous con-
tributions are not given consideration.
The author of the article is known only
to the Editor-in-Chief, The contents of
the articles appearing in the Soap Box
are personal opinions expressed by indi-
vidual Association members and their ap-
pearance does not necessarily indicate
that the Publications Committee and the
Association are in agreement with the
views expressed. Only those contributions
not containing more than 300 words will
be accepted.
To the Soap Box ?
Who screens the Suggestion Box notes?
Though there are occasional wise guy
lucubrations and crackpot jeremiads, the
writers are generally sinple people with
simple con^slaints — why an automatic ele-
vator, why no electricity in the washi?oom
drier, why didn't we buy such and such a
book. The letters have grass roots
authenticity about them, and require a
simple, honest answer, not a conposition,
originating in doublethink, and issuing
in double talk. On this altar of li-
brarianship we all offer up what gifts we
have — a fat-thighed bullock, a spotless
lamb, a cord of wood, or even a juggler's
act, if that's all we have, and we bring
it with humility. Intelligence is per-
Harry Andrews
To the Soap Box ;
The other day a young man returned a
book no one else was waiting for, and
wanted to take it out again. He was told
that no renewals were allowed under any
circumstances, and he patiently came back
the next day and took it off the shelf
in Open Shelf, But it was considerably
damaged since he had seen it the day be-
fore, and he wrote a note to the Suggestion
Box about it.
He received in reply a letter suggesting
that perhaps he had had a different copy.
But it was the same copy.
This incident has a fourfold aspect to
it which should be treated in four differ-
ent letters to the Soap Box, the Sugges-
tion Box notes, the Return Desk chute
(physical aspect), the Return Desk chute
(utilitarian aspect) and books sent to the
Bindery. V^ith all my genius for conpres-
sion, I doubt if I can say all there is to
say about those h items in 300 words.
This introductory note will probably run
to no more than 200 words. Will I be al-
lowed to go a little over 300 in the next
one? I doubt it.
Harry Andrews
To the Soap Box t
I have been disappointed in the Soap Box
of late and have a suggestion that should
help the Publications Committee immensely.
Rather than serve as one person's personal
editor, why not give him paper and ink and
'let him publish his own magazine (called
GRIPES perhaps). The only larger crime
than this perversion of the Soap Box is
that this monopoly came to be because no
one else seems to care enough to write on
other subjects.
" NOT H. A."
-11 -
To the Editor ;
To ',iiom it may concerns
May I express my profuse thanks and
eternal gratitude to the person who found
my pearls on Friday, March h, and left
them in the ladies ' wash room.
They were a gift from my husband and I
was heartbroken. I was also afraid to go
home.
Marcella G, MsConville
Cataloging and Classificatio^in the literature,
R. and R.S.
In the literature.
How did Freud interpret that dream? Which
> opera contains this recurring theme?
What makes employment practices unfair?
From an Albee play to an analysis of Klee,
if you're interested you'll find it, for
it's there
In the literature.
In history, bibliography, periodical or
biography.
It's somewhere
GeneTTleve Moloney
F. P. Model has a long and interesting
article in the February issue of BOSTON
on Erich Leinsdorf of the Boston Symphony.
He has this to say on "our" subject of
books and reading:
"...His entertainments are likewise
not frivolous. A voracious reader,
he literally consumes the COKGEHS-
SIGNAL READER and the LONDON TIMES
LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, and he digests—
not just reads — ^three or four serious
books a week. (His latest: Runciman's
THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE)... Fic-
tion bores him "as it always pic-
tures man as a product of genetics
and childhood frustrations.**
What I no Henry James, no Jane Austen,
no Proust, no Thomas Mann, no Joyce, no
Dostoyevsky, no Stendhal, no WAR AND
PEACE I We find it as hard to believe
this as to credit the above statement
about his literal consumption of the
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD and the LONDON TIMES
LITERARY SUPPLEMENT.
-X- ■«• -^'^ ■«•-»•■«•
The following is printed with apologies
^ to Kipling and to P.J, Horton (whoever he
may be), whose parody "The chemical lit-
erature" is the basis of this one.
THE REFERENCE LITERATURE
or
A LIBRARIAN'S CREED
The literature.
The reference literature—
When in doabt look it up in the literatur^
Every question that man can raise, every
' phase of that question is on record
In the literature;
Answers always can be found, answers sim^
pie or profound.
On second thought, P.J, Horton is un-
doubtedly there— somewhere — in the liter-
ature,
G. M.
HARRIET SWIFT MEMORIAL
The committee is grateful for all con-
tributions received for the HARRIET SIVIFT
MEMORIAL, and is happy to report that a
final decision on the memorial will be
made in the next ten days. If there arc
any who would still like to contribute,
the committee will be happy to receive
your gifts.
THE COMMITTEE
Harry Fletcher
Madalene D. Holt
Louisa S. Metcalf
Ellen M. Oldham
Mildred R. Somes
Sarah M. Usher
lU
uestion
rvn
A\^K
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
APRIL 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Volujne XXI, Number h April, 1966
Ftiblications Committee!
Harry Andrews; Julia M, Breve leri; James Ford; Evelyn
Isaacs; Angelo Mammano; Genevieve Moloney; Mildred R,
Somes, Artist; Margot Timson; Sarah M. Usher, Indexer;
Kathleen Ward; Stephen R. Miller, Chairman,
Publication Date:
The fifteenth of each month
Deadline for submitting materials
The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to fxirther the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
EDITORIAL NOTES
Three perennial subjects seem to flourish in editorial committee meetings in
proportion to their lack of growth | salaries, communications and courtesy. The
salary problem cannot really be solved by the eiif)loyees alone, but better communi-
cations can be a goal of all employees. In our opinion, communication is workable
between the individual and the Director, but it does not seem to flow freely at all
levels in between. It is our understanding that Mr, McNiff has requested that in-
formation about the Tuesday meetings be passed on by the . department heads to their
staffs, but in many cases it has not been. Too many other matters have also been
left to hearsay. When hearsay is the only source of information there is bound to
bo misunderstanding as well as enlightenment and, in addition, the employee is left
feeling like a secret agent in his own organization.
Perhaps we expect more of our superiors than they consider their duty; too
often a conplaint or a sviggestion seems to get stuck at the department head's desk.
Would a clearer definition of the responsibilities of department heads improve the
flow of communication, both down and up? Would regular notices of decisions and
plans affecting library employees widen the channels so they could be used more
freely? We ask: we know of no final answer.
THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
^ 2 "
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
A meeting of the Executive Board was
held on Friday, April 1,
The eoncessionaire of our Coffee Shop
and the new Chairman of the Concessions
Committee were invited to the meeting for
a discussion of the relocation of the
Coffee Shop, We were informed that new
counters, and some new equipment will be
installed. Some of the old equipment
will be moved and used. The grills will
be eliminated, thereby reducing odors and
smoke. Paper and plastic dishes and eat-
ing utensils will replace dishes and cut-
lery, and thereby meet the requirements
of the health authorities. The Conces-
sionaire was told that he should begin
the work on this relocation as soon as
possible so that he could be moved at
the same time as the staff lounges and
lunch rooms.
The Board discussed salary adjustments,
and the members were in agreement that
new salary schedules were necessary if we
are to compete with other libraries and
with private industry.
Only one Committee remains to be filled,
This is the Program Committee. Efforts
are being made to find a chairman for
this veiy important committee.
LOUIS POLISHOOK
PERSONNEL NOTES
New Enployees ;
Leo P. Boucher— Duplicating
Daniel J. Duran — Records, Files, Statistics
Helen M. «Neil~Book Stack Service
Robert J, Hartley — Central Charging Records
William Hanway — Book Stack Service
Donald R. Snyder — Book Selection, R. and
R,S.
Mrs, Audrey Schley — ^Adams Street
Juan Hernandez — Book Stack Service
Terminations ;
Andrea F. Green — ^Adams Street, return to
college
Raymond J, Callahan — Exhibits, to enter
Military Seirvice
Elinor M, Wing — Mattapan, to enter library
school
Helen Gallagher — Central Charging Becoixis
Mrs, Ann Marie Duggan — Bookmobiles
Jane Frieze — Book Stack Service
Sharon Whittemore — ^Rare Book
William Sawyer— Book Stack Service
Camel Williams— Book Stack Service
Margaret C, Gardiner—Cataloging and
Classification, R, and R.S,
Frederick Aufiero— Book Stack Service, to
enter Millitary Service
Anthony Tieuli~Open Shelf, another
position
^frs, Margaret I, Noonan— Information, to
remain at home
Sherry Moore— Book Stack Service
Transfers ;
Katherine Dibble — Egleston Square to Hyde
Park
Janice E. Barber— Memorial to Connolly
Retirements ;
Bradford M. Hill— Trustees ' Office
Irene G, Tuttle — South Boston
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK
"A circulating library in a town is as
an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge,"
(Richard B. Sheridan)
"A>man in.ll turn over half a library to
make one book." (Boswell's LIFE OF DR.
JOHNSON)
"I know how busy you are in your li-
brary, which is your paradise," (Erasmus)
National Library Week fast approaches.
It is a week of many activities: the
hectic pace may be tiring. The week of
April 17—23 is a busy one at the BPL:
children's books will be reviewed on
Saturday morning April 30, Mexico Week
Program will be the highlight at Central
as well as some of the brancfeee," a»d on
J^rll 21 Carleton Beals, a noted author-
ity on Mexico will speak before the Never
Too Late group. The slogan at the BPL is
"Happiness is.,,," accompanied by bright
posters of the Peanuts character holding
her library card. The slogan can be
combined with the national slogan "Grow
Through Reading" to become "Happiness is
Growing Through Reading."
The Boston Public Library, however, is
not alone in celebrating National Library
Week. Governor Volpe will sign a pro-
clamation announcing the week in Massa-
chusetts. Edward Brooke, James McGregor
Bums, Helen Howe, and Barbara Tuchman
will be guests at the Book and Author
Luncheon April l8th at the Statler Hilton.
Simmon's College School of Library Sci-
ence is holding their invitational in-
stitute called Staffing the Small Library
- 3 -
on April l6th, A special book section
id.ll appear in the BeS28N GiaBB M Apr^l
17th.
More than all the activities listed'
above, however. National Library Week
should be a week of evaluation, observa-
tion and constructive thinking on the
library's goals and objectives. It is
the time of ever-increasing information,
of better standards, and of more federal
aid to libraries. Service to readers,
as National Library Week emphasizes, is
of the utmost importance, whether the
reader is a scholar or barely literate.
Where are libraries headed? And for what
purpose? Hopefully during National Li-
brary Week all libraries will ponder this
and constructively build for the future.
MARGOT TIIBON
MEXICO WEEK
MEXICO WEEK is set for April 17—23.
Sponsored by the l^'orld Affairs Council,
with the cooperation of approximately 70
major community organizations, the Week's
lectures, exhibits, and parties will
cover all aspects of past, present, and
future Mexican life. Highlights through-
out the city include: an all-city auth-
entic Mexican fiesta complete with
mariachi troubadours, tacos, toi^tillas
and tequila J the world famous Tiajudna
Brass J Copland's "El Salon Mexico" per-
formed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra j
and an exhibit-film series at the BPL an<^.
its 26 branches.
The BPL series began April 3rd at i)or-
chester with the film THE FORGOTTEN
VILLAGE. Mary Reardon, artist, authof>
lecturer, and traveler will speak at
Charleston on April 21, Her subject will
be Mexico Through its Arts and Crafts »
At Central, also on April 21, will be
Carleton Beals, noted auihof and lectui-er
whose subject is Mexii i.p J
Ernest Henderson, the new president of
the World Affairs Council said, "The
existence of an intelligent public
opinion is something too many of us in-
side and outside government tend to take
for granted* It is up to organizations
like the World Affairs Council to help
insure that an articulate public opinion
on foreign policy issues does, in fact,
exist..." It is hoped that these activi-
ties will lead to an improved inter-
American understanding.
BRADFORD M. HILL RETIRES
On March twenty-second, Bradford M, Hill
retired after a distinguished career of
service in the Boston Public Library,
Brad was first employed in the Boston
Public Library in the Evening and Sunday
Service in 1925* He was appointed an
Assistant at West End in 1927, After a
brief period in the Jordan Marsh Book
Department in the winter of 1928-29, he
returned to the Boston Public Library,
in Branch Catalog where he was appointed
Second Assistant in 1929 and First Assis-
tant in 1930, From 1931 to 19h2 he was
Reference Assistant at Parker Hill, the
only person to hold that title in the
branch library system. During World War
II, he was Regional Depot Supervisor for
New England in the Victory Book Campaign,
In 19ii3 he became Chief of the Period-
ical and Newspaper Department, Deputy
Supervisor of Reference and Research
Services in 19^6, Supervisor of Reference
and Research Services in 1957, and Acting
Chief Librarian of the Division of Refer-
ence and Research Services in January
i960. He served in this capacity until
April 1965, 111 health caused his ab-
sence from the Library from Kerch 1965;
except for a few months in the stunmer of
1965, In the meantime Brad was appointed
Consultant to the Director (For the care
of the collections).
Brad received his A.B. from Boston
University in 192^, his A.M. from the
same institution in 1933, He was the
first man to study for a library science
degree at Simmons College School of Li-
brary Science (the charter had not been
changed when he started his studies in
I9ii5) where he received his degree in
19ii7* He started the parade of men from
the Boston Public Library to study for
library science degrees at Simmons,
Brad was not only an active participant
in many professional and staff activities
but has been recognized and honored as a
leader in the library profession. He
holds membership in the American Library
Association, Special Libraries Association
Catholic Library Association, and Massa-
chusetts Library Association,
He served for many years on the Member-
ship Committee of ALA, was a member of
the Steering Committee of the Staff
Organization Round Table of ALA from 19ii9
to 1953, and was Editor of SORT Bulletin
for the same period. He was Chairman of
- li -
"*»■
Publications Conuidttee of the Boston
Chapter of Special Libraries Association
in 19li7-l|8, Vice President, 1953-56 and
President in 1956-57.
No one was more active in the organiza-
tion of the Boston Public Library Staff
Association, or rather the Boston Public
Library Professional Staff Association,
as it was first called. He was Chairman
of the Organization Committee in 19U5,
its first President, 19l46-19i47. He ser-
ved on many committees including service
as Chairman of the Book Selection Policy
Committee in 1953-5i4»
He was elected Vice President of the
Boston Public Library Eii^Dloyees Benefit
for 1938-191^0, and President 19UO-19i|2,
and among many other activities served as
the Chairman of the Publications Committee
for many years.
He was elected Vice President of the
Boston Public Library Quarter Century
Club in 1953-1956, President in 1956-58.
He represented the Library before many
groups, such as the New England Federa-
tion of Women's Clubs, U.S. Anry Officer^
Boston University Women's Council, the
Canadian Women's Club of Boston, the City
Club of Boston, the New England Regional
Conference of the New England Library
Association; the North Shore Library Clutj
the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregation
of America, student and faculty groups of
schools and colleges in the area, and on
radio and television.
Brad will be best remembered for his
unfailing consideration for other persons,
The "open-door"policy was never an entity
phrase with Brad, Anyone who had a
problem, request, conplaint, or siiggestioii
could always expect and receive a coxirte-
ous hearing from him, A "real gentle-
man" is the phrase most often spoken of
Brad, He inspired loyalty in his subor-
dinates because of his fair treatment,
and his willingness to fight for a pirin-
ciple or for a deserving assi stant.
His many friends wish him a speedy re-
covery from the illness which has caused
his early retirement.
Anyone who wishes to eend a note or
card to Brad may send it to his home:
18 Hollywood Road
Winchester
Massachusetts OI89O
ASSOCIATION FOR RECORDED SOUND COLLECTIONS
"Music lovers of Philadelphia heard
last night one of the most marvelous
achievments of modem, science— a repro-
duction of the h\iman voice so perfect
and unerring that it was impossible to
distingtiish between it (a phonograph)
and the real voice of the original singer."
The "last night" referred to in the '
preceeding eulogy was April 27, 1916 J *■
and the event was a direct comparison be-
tween the actual and recorded voice of
>4ne, Rappold, This stunt was one of many
such demonstrations, arranged for the
promotion of Thomas A. Edison's Re-Crea-
tion recording technique.
In the ensuing course of time, tech-
nological iirprovements have succeeded in
jading those innocent ears, and we are
less easily impressed. Nevertheless,
remarkable tone quality could be— and
was—achieved half a century ago, despite
their enployment of what seem to be
crude, brute force recording processes.
At any rate, our concern today is with
the repertoire put on records at the turn
of the century, rather than with their
concept of high fidelity.
In this connection, I attended a con-
ference at Syracuse University late in
February, the purpose of which was to
form an organization devoted to the
promotion of collecting and preserving
old discs and cylinders. The need for
such a nation-wide effort is critical,
for we have reached a point vrtiere a
rational, well-directed endeavor towards
the preservation of the rapidly dwindling
supply of irreplacable historical record-
ings is a necessity.
There are, of course, many sophisticated
collections of rare recordings already
in existence, notably at Yale, Syracuse,
the New York Public Library and those held
by private individuals. The Boston Public
library houses an archive of approximately
5,000 records, of moderate rarity. How-
ever, although many collections exist,
there will always remain gaps in these
archives and there is always the need for
protective duplication of any inpoirbant
items. Searching for obscure, unknown and
rare records can be an exciting treasure
hunt. Consider, for example, the tanta-
lizing possibility that in the corner of
some attic lies the mysterious, one and
only, lost recording made in I889 by
by Johannes Brahms.
In short, the Association for Recorded
Sound Collections, which was formed at
the conference, hopes to carry out a
mutual exchange of ideas and materials
towards the end of preserving a unique
and splendid heritage. There still re-
main undiscovered, vast numbers of valu-
able recordings, both of music and the
spoken word, and the Association intends
to enlist the cooperation of anybody —
amateur, dilletante or professional — ^who
has an interest in participating. Mem-
bership should prove valuable to all con-
cerned, through the exchange of 'ideas con'
ceming re-recording, acquisition tech-
niques, etc.. The fruits of this Associ-
ation should eventually enormously bene-
fit both the scholar and the music lover.
JOHN F. BUNDY
COPLEY SQUARE? YES.'
Within the next eighteen months Copley
Square is to become a true square. The
reconstruction will be done under the
direction of Saski, Dawson, Demay Associ-
ates, Inc. of Watertown, Massachusetts,
Saski 's design took first place out of
188 entries in a nation-wide contest a-
mong landscape architects and planners.
Its main features include:
— Terraced walkways, leading down to
an oblong -shaped shallow pool with
a fountain which vrill cascade water
10 feet into the air,
— A low concrete wall and row of
linden trees along the Boylston
Street side of the park,
— Some 15 bleached sycamore trees
in a small grove, with cast iron
benches, near the side of Trini-
ty Church off Boylston Street,
— ^Rows of trees in front of the
Boston Public Library, except
at the entrance along Boylston
between Dartmouth and Clarendon
Streets, and elsewhere in the
square opposite the park,
—Two medium height decorative light
posts at the Dartmouth Street end
of the open space, j^ast across from
the library entrance,
(CHRISTIAM SCIENCE MONITOR, 2U March, '66)
Plans for inppoving the appearance and
traffic patterns of Copley Square were
begun in the late fifties by the Back Bay
Association and other area interests.
However, the final incentive to acttal
construction came with the extension of
the Massachusetts Turnpike past the B.P.L.
City planners estimated that with the
Turnpike exit over 12,000 cars daily would
flow into Copley Square, With the present
traffic system sentiments were, "Pity the
poor pedestrian as he tries to cross
Copley Square from Trinity Chxirch to the
Boston Public Library, It would seem
very much like the Charge of the Calient
$ Few into the Jaws of the Twelve Thousand."
Concern was immediately voiced over the
possible physical damage to the architec-
turial designs of Copley Square, Many,
such as Professor Henry Millan of M.I.T,,
publicly praised the B.P.L,, Trinity
Church, Old South Church, and The
Sheraton Plaza, and warned against any
construction which would detract from
their architectural appreciation. Debate
on the Square centered over two general
plans. One, designed by Robert Cutler
for the City Public Improvement Commission
in August of 196ii, proposed the removal
of the Huntington "hypotenuse" and the
extension of Trinity I laza to Boylston
Street, The second, originally presented
by the Back Bay Association in 1958, then
updated in I96I4, called for a continuous
plaza between Dartmouth and Clarendon
Streets, A poll taken among the Back Bay
Association members favored 10 to 1 the
adoption of the "continuous plaza."
In September of 196h Mayor Collins sug-
gested that an inter-national competition
be held to secure a worthy design for the
new Square, but some of the 300 members
of the Association were hesitant at the
idea. Many feardd that not enough prize
money could be offered to attract competent
landscapers. By February of 1965, how-
ever, opinions had changed and the Back
Bay Council, the Back Bay Research Plan-
ning and Development Corporation, and the
City announced that an "open Coirpetition"
would be held.
Contest "kits" were sold for $15 to
about 250 architects, and the maximum
construction cost was set at $500,000.
Cash prizes of $5,000 for first, $2,000
for second and $1,000 for third were
offered. Of the 250 firms only I88 sub-
mited entries between March 1 and March
23, 1966, All designs were judged by a
feroup of ten architects, landscape ex-
«• D **
perts and civic leaders. The dean
emeritus of the Graduate School of Design
at M.I.T., Pietro Belluschi, was chair-
man of the judges. On the 23rd of March,
1966 Mayor Collins announced the winner
at the Museum of Fine Arts. Though the
city is not obligated to use the winning
design, Saski's plans will in all prob-
ability be followed to the letter,
IN MEMORIAM
THEODORA B. SCOFF
This morning we said our final goodbye
to Theodora B. Scoff, and our hearts are
filled with sadness. Her years of de-
votion to the library are a matter of
record. She expected—and received--
from her employees the fullest measiore
of service to the Library and its ideals,
for she herself set the perfect example.
The Library was a large part of her life—
and those of us vrtio were fortunate enough
to work with her seen found that we were
an extension of her otm immediate family.
She became part of my life about twenty
years ago when I first came to Mattapan —
and through the years there were many,
many occasions when I tiirned to her for
advice and counsel. My husband and I
shall miss herj our children, too, I
know that she took great pride in their
accomplishments since it was her good ad-
vice which helped gtiide them in their
chosen fields of endeavor. It is hard to
believe that she has gone from us,
AUGUSTA RUBENSTEIN— Mattapan
T o Theodora Scoff
H ere's a hearty toast
E aoh of us would wish you
f the best— the most
D uring your retirement
h, how you'll be missedj
R emember, you're our mentor
A s such, you top our list,
B ecause you symbolize
S much that's fine and true
C an we now express
ur gratitude to you
F or all you've been, for what you are
F riend, guide, good counsellor.
This toast was written for Theodora
Scoff two years ago and was presented -bo
her as a scroll by friends and ex-staff
members on the occasion of her retirement.
It expressed— not eloquently perhaps, but
truly — ^what we who had known and worked
with her felt about this fine and dedi-
cated woman. For if ever there was a
person immersed heart and soul in her
work, it was she. In a way, the library
was her life. Even in her retirement, it
was a part of her. She came back to lead
an adults' discussion group at Mattapan j
she was available for advice, information,
encouragement at any time. All you had
to do was mention the library — and you
would get instant rapport. Her enthusi-
asm carried over to the people she came
in contact with and especially to her
staff. She was so proud of her "girls".
What gave her the greatest satisfaction
were the number of people 'srtio trained or
worked with her who advanced in the pro-
fession . She felt a personal involvement
and indeed she was responsible for many
promotions, in the sense that it was her
supervision and training that was a
springboard for advancement.
Miss Scoff took special pride in the
fact that she was the youngest person in
the B.P.L. system to be appointed Branch
Librarian, She was a scant twenty-three
and fresh out of college when she was
appointed to that position. So she had
the longest "reign" — more than iiO years —
as Branch Librarian, She retired at the
age of sixty-five. It is such a pity
thSt her retirement was of such short
duration and that so mueh was marred by
illness.
Our sympathy and condolences to her
dear and devoted sister, Edna, to her
family, to her life-long friend, Mrs,
Malvina Maloof , and to all those who
treasured her friendship.
How we shall miss heri
SARAH RICHMAN
NOTES FROM COPLEY SQUARE
On March 26, at the First Congregation-
al Church, United Church of Christ,
Martha Lee Parker, of Cataloging and
Classification R, and R,S., became the
wife of Brice Kenneth Await, Jr. who is
an insurance agent for John Hancock Life
Insurance, The wedding reception was
held at the Village Inn in Norwood, They
spent their honeymoon in New York and
»^ f Pm
Washington, D.C, They are now living in
Roslindale. Congratulations i
* -Si- ■«■*•«■ •»•
On Sunday, March 27, a surprise bridal
shower was held for Roberta Permatteo of
Book Purchasing^, at the Paddock Club in
East Boston. There were 96 guests presen"^
mostly family and a few B.P.L, friends,
Roberta received some lovely gifts, in-
cluding kitchen appliences, china, silver
and linens.
Her fiance, Al Cataldo, got a preview
of what's to come; he was busy all night
opening gifts and trying to remember
everyone's name.
The guests were entertained by a new
Combo "The Rooks", in which Roberta's
brother Frankie is the drummer. (Maureen
Smith, of Book Purchasing, does a mean
WatusiJ)
On Tuesday evening, April 12, John M.
Carroll spoke to the Beacon Hill Civic
Association at the Charles Street Meet-
ing House on the proposed West End Branch
Mr, McNiff and Mr, Connolly were also in
attendance. The model of the proposed
building ha^ been on display this week
at Simon and Sons, 69 Charles Street,
BRANCH NOTES
Linda Slee, assistant in the Children's
Room at West Roxbury, was recently en-
gaged to Steven R. Vlahon of Saginaw,
Michigan, A September wedding in Long-
mont, Colorado, is planned. The couple
will return to Boston where Linda expects
to continue working for the B.P.L. and
studying at Simmons while Steven is in
the Navy,
*■»■->■«•■»■■«•
Margaret Brooks, Young Adults Librarian
at Memorial-Mt, Pleasant, is to be
married June 7, in Maine, to David H,
Smith of Mexico, Missouri.
Miss Brooks, a graduate of the Univer-
sity of Maine at Orono, is a Master's
Degree candidate in Library Science at
Simmons College, She previously worked
at Egleston Square,
Mr, Smith, a I963 graduate of Notre
Dame University at South Bend, Indiana,
served two years in the United States
Naval Reserve aboard the U.S,S. Boston,
and is presently a graduate teaching
assistant and a candidate for his Master's
Degiree in Chemistry at the University of
Missouri,
They plan to make their home in Colum-
bia, Missouri,
UNION LIST OF SERIAI£ I N LIBRARIES OF
THE UI I aTED STATES AND CAN.'IDA
3rd edition, I966
Copies of this valuable reference tool
may be found in General Reference and
Periodical and Newspaper.
Total serial titles listed: l56,i499
Number of American libraries sur-
tteyed : 956
The 3rd edition includes all information
in the 2nd edition, 19^43, its two supple-
ments, 19ii5 and 1953, plus selected new
titles up to i960,
A word of caution: Although library
locations from previous editions and
supplements were combined to form the
five volumes of the 3rd edition, the lo-
cation symbols were not incorporated in-
to a single alphabet, (i.e. To determine
what libraries in Massachusetts own the
periodical A-J- Jatio n, four distinct alpha-
betical groupings of location symbols
must be scanned)
MARGARET L.
PERSONAUTIES
WARREN HARPJIIIGTON
Warren Harrington, Vice President of
the Staff Association, has been Toung
Adult Worker at South Boston since Sep-
tember 1963 -. He expects to receive a
master's degree in library science from
Simmons College in June I966, Mr,
Harrington achieved his bachelor's degree
in Philosophy from Saint John's Seminary,
Brighton, in 1962 and attended gratuate
classes in Catholic Theology there before
coming to the B.P.L. Some of his friends
tell us that V/arren's hobbies are wine,
women and song. Others say that he
doesn't sing very well.
^ 8 -
FOBMR BPLers IN PRINT
One of the library profession's knot-
tiest problems is the subject of a sympo-
sium in the April 1 LIBRARY JOURNAL
titled Library Education and the Talent
Shortage . Twelve top administrators, in-
cluding Karl Nyren and Ervin J. Gaines,
both formerly of the B.P.L., try to de-
fine what is wrong with the library
schools, their curriculum and their
graduates, and to suggest new ways of
pixjducing qualified librarians.
Certain ideas were repeated by several
of the participants. For instance, it
was felt that the fifth year program as
presently used was not adequate; a gradu-
ated system of positions from pages to
administrators, taking account of rele-
vant education and experience, was sug-
gested instead. More use could be made
of undergraduate degrees in library
science,
Karl Nyren finds that money is the
atJBwer to the profession's woes, not the
library schools. Low salaries mean that
the best qualified people are not attrac-
ted to libraries. Contrary to the others
in the symposi\im, he is in favor of more
specialized education for librarians — k
years of general education with a "major"
in library science, and a fifth year of a
career specialization,
Eirvin Gaines also finds money a factor:
librarians tend to be either "more highly
motivated or less competent" than those
in other professions. He thinks also
that the number of professionals should
be decreased in the larger libraries to
allow more room for managerial skill and
judgment in the remaining posts,
WALL STREET JOURNAL LOOKS
AT LIBRARIANS
Plugs for library service as a pro-
fession have penetrated even that august
sheet, the WALL STREET JOURNAL. In the
November 1, 1965 issue, an article re-
ports with apparent surprise that li-
brarians no longer fit the fussy old-
maid image, and that libraries are no
longer dusty refuges from the rain. More
gold is pouring into libraries ' coffers
than ever before — ^more than $200 million
under the Higher Education Act of 1965
will go to universities and training pro-
jects, and $100 million from the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act is
earmarked for public school libraries.
However, librarians insist (not meekly)
that $3*7 billion more is needed just
to bring the country's libraries up to
minimum standards,
LibraiT.es are experimenting with new
ways of creeping up on the space age.
Cooperative exchange programs are being
extended; teletypewriters in California
transmit book requests from library to
library to speed service; computers may
be used to keep charging records, as at
Florida Atlantic University, The goal
for the future is a national network of
libraries capable of transmitting a
facsimile of a book or manuscript to any
point in the country.
Funds are also being used to recruit
more prospective librarians; five states
have hired full-time employees to recruit
trainees and boost enrollment in 3-ihrary
schools,
mAT WAS THE MONTH THAT WAS
How many copies of FANNY HILL do we
have on shelf?
Supply room reported that they were
infindated with used Sensi-Ball pens.
They are waiting for used elastics. May-
be an LAI position will have to be cre-
ated to sort and test all this material.
The Easter Bunny reported that his
Easter eggs were a mess this year: some
were rotten, some stale, some miscolored,
and others stolen. Maybe he needs Feder-
al aid. Everybody else is getting it,
A patron fainted Thursday during the
2:30 student onslaught.
The message on a lady's tea bag saidt
"Someone say. Raise-in-pay
Sound gong, Rumor wrong!"
"Misery is,., a headache with four patrons
waiting looking at you condescendingly
thinking that you are a miserable speci-
man of a public servant. The truth is
you feel miserable,"
"Happiness is... a pipedream," (Essence
of 'Neil's The Iceman Cometh )
Oh, to ride the clean, fast uncrowded
MTA with the BOSTON HERALD in my hand.
Would be interesting to see idiat news-
papers people read during the strike.
Then again I wonder what kind of people
the newspapers read.
- 9 -
Monty lost, Monty found
Joe glad, No frown,
A little boy asked a children's li-
brarian, " How do whales reduce?" (What
he wanted to know was how whales repro-
duced,)
T'll next month
■IHE IHIRD EAR
THE 05LY AMERICAN
I saw a pleasant-faced, well-dressed,
peaceable man at our catalog, muttering
discontentedly to himself, atd I went
over to see what was wrong, "THE UGLY
AMERICAN", he said. "What a titlei Why
don't our writers show the good side of
American life?" I suddenly remembered
reading some years ago an article on
that very subject. I knew neither author
nor title, nor exact date. But I thought
the late forties was the time and BGOKS
ABROAD the periodical. With this meager
information Mr, O'Neil was able to find
the magazine for me.
It is a very short article starting
on page 11 of the Winter, 19hQ issue,
written by Edward L. Tinker, This is
how it starts:
"In a world more than half-ridden by
hate, hunger, suspicion, and a struggle
for power, it was never as inportant as
now for other nations to knox^ the decencj
kindness, generosity, and altruism of
the people of the United States as a
nation. . , .This is not the portrait of us
that is exported in our movies or .
novels,,,", and he mentions specifically
Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH and Erskine
Caldwell's TOBACCO ROAD.
He goes on to suggest that we send
overseas small collections of books which
give a ware representative and pleasantei
pictxire of this land. The lists he
appends as a starter include books by
Dorothy Canfied, Willa Gather, Edna
Ferber, Ellen Glasgow, Ring Lajrdner, Sin-
clair Lewis, John Marquand, Margaret
Mitchell, Marjorie Rawlings, Elizabeth
Roberts, Carl Sandburg, Betty Smith,
Booth Tarkington and a few others.
What we have sent abroad in foreign
aid since 19U8 would still entitle us to
the adjectives decent, kind, generous,
and altruistic. But books which blacken
our "image" are more numerous and harsh-
er than Steinbeck and Caldwell. It
would be an interesting parlor game to
make up lists of authors and books since
l^iiS which belong to both categories,
HARRY ANDREWS
YOUR LIBRARY CARD
— Joseph Harper
It's a piece of cardboard four by two
Yet look what it can do for you:
Wealth, Information, recreation galore.
Education, Peace of Mind and much more.
In Boston, a fruit peddler, Deferrari by
name.
Used it; made millions, and went down in
fame.
The information center is ready any hour.
Fully aware that knowledge is power.
You can go anyv*iere, be anyone.
Just use your card and have some fun.
If you 're planning to go to college.
It'll become your passport to knowledge.
If peace of mind be your need.
The card may help to it leado
YoTir card is the key, the Library the
door.
Need I say anything more,
STAFF REPRESENTATIVES
Staff Association's 'dues for 1966 are
now due. Please do not forget to collect
them.
- 10 -
4 •.<•-'%'-
Any contribution to the Soap Box must
be accompanied by the full name of the
Association member submitting it, to-
gether with the name of the Branch Li-
brary, Department, or Office in which he
or she is employed. The name is with-
held from publication, or a pen name is
used, if the contributor so requests.
Anonymous contributions are not given
consideration. The author of the article
is known oilil'y to the Editor-in-^hief ,
The contents of the articles appearing
in the Soap Box are personal opinions
expressed by individual Association
members and liieir appearance does not
necessarily indicate that the Publica-
tions Committee and the Associa tion are
in agreement with the views expressed.
Only those contributions not containing
more than 300 words will be accepted.
To my fellow employees at the B.P.L. ;
I would like to thank you all very
much on behalf of iry wife and myself,
for the enjoyable years we both spent
at the library. May I also make person-
al recognition to Maiy McDonough, Book
Preparation, who was very kind and gen-
erous to my wife and myself and also to
Frank Bruno, Book Stack Service, for
allowing me to work in his Department,
I would like to continue on with the
list but it would take many more pages
than is already allowed to me. In
closing, may I wish you all very good
health and happiness in the future.
Thank you,
Philip W, Flattich
the Q.M. hit
asked what I
little notice,
my despatches
To the Soap Box ;
The day the March issue of
the Coffee Shop, four people
meant by MIQ, Ordinarily so
oral or written, is taken of
here, that four queries constitute public
clamor. One English professor said in
class once, that we must write in such
a way that not only are we understood, but
there must be no possibility that we be
misunderstood, I thought this was one
lesson I had definitely carried away with
me, so I read my letter again, and sure
enough the last paragraph was less than
clear. I investigated and found that one
line had been left out by the printers.
Now when I wrote that letter and invented
that term, my purpose was not just to set
wriggling on a pin some people I thought
were using their intelligence to deceive,
I also hoped to establish a new criterion
for judging candidates for Library posi-
tions here, particularly the more respon-
sible ones, I dredged my memory for an
ancient substantiation of my thesis from
Newman, and strengthened it by a similar
sentiment from Shakespeare, and tried to
phrase my result in the accents of a very
celebrated passage from Donne, It was
unnerving to have one element in this new
confection lost in transit.
If ever there is a new edition of the
March, 1966 issue of the ^.M, printed, I
would like the last paragraph to read as
follows :
"Therefore, when you begin to evaluate a
personality for the Library, don't just
check his IQ, the intelligence quotient,
but his MIQ, the malevolence intelligence
quotient. Great harm can come to states
and libraries when people with high MIQ's
take responsible positions,"
HARRY ANDREWS
To the Soap Box ;
MJRAL TURPITUDE, OR, WHAT'S IN A NAME
The library has been issriing some rather
interesting administrative notices but
this last one No, 21 — 1966 is a gem,
ShaAee of ambigid.ty'»-»''Bioral turpitude.'"
It says so little, but sxiggests so much.
This is a phrase that begs for definition,
I thought I knew what it meant, but I am
not sure that my interpretation is the
same as yours. Is it? As a member of the
staff, I vrould like this more clearly
~ n -
spelled out, I for one, would like a
clear line of definition before I report
anyone for anything. As for notifying
the officer in charge via the .switch-
board, this is clearly an inpossibility.
The time it takes to transfer a call on
ordinary library matters is enough to
turn one into a babbling idiot. Imagine
transferring a call on "moral turpitude.*"
I don't think we should or could ignore
an unpleasant situation, but we should
be sure of viiat we are reporting j if this
notice be a guideline for action, I would
hesitate to enforce it. Indeed, I would
follow the old maxim, when in doubt, don't
JOSEPH HARPER
Editor's note ;
BUCK LAW DICTIONARY (Uth ed. 1951) page
1160, says this:
Moral Turpitude : an act of baseness,
vileness, or depravity in the private
and social duties which a man owes to his
fellow men, or to society in general,
contrary to the accepted and customary
rule of right and duty between man and
man.
To the Editor ;
To speak or not to speak
That is the question.
Whether t'is nobler
in the mind to suffer
THE QB^KWJ MARK does serve the pur-
pose of venting irritation and frustra-
tion. Except for Sam's there is no other
such outlet in the library.
On the one hand people are seriously
discussing the future of the B.P.L. and,
on the other, Sensi-Ball pens are now
important enough to warrent a General
Administrative Notice, With all the
committees, meetings, and discussions
newly established it would seem •Uiat we
shotild be moving ahead. The "underlings"
(Pi's, P2's, and LA'S sometimes refer to
themselves) don't see much change nor do
their department heads tell them much
about the new plans etc. Information is
sifted, rumored, and generally garbled,
I agree that one cannot solve years of
problems in a few months, but some people
seem to have the attitude that "This is
the system; it has always been this way,
Itvon't change, so bear up under it,"
I ask — why can't it change. Petty
griping, extremely poor communication be-
tween all levels of staff, and non-thinking
staff make it eraeperating to work here.
(Maybe I am non-thinking in writing this,
but I am beyond caring). Why is everybody
unwilling to open their mouths (sometimes
I wonder if there are embarressing periods
of silence at the department heads meet-
ings) or is it because they know that they
are ill-prepared for the ,1ob they are in
and wish not to appear foolish.
Absolutely nothing is accomplished by
sending letters of such a disgruntled
nature as this except the joy in seeing
a few paltry words in print. Yes, I am
griping. Everyone else is too. I am dis-
couraged.
"HAMLET"
(•^I have of late,,, but wherefore
I know not — lost all my mirth,,.")
™
uestion
MA^
THE BOSTON PUBLIC IIBRAW
MAY 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
_7oluine XXI « Number ^
May, 1966
Publications Conrndttee: Harry Andrews; Julia M, Breveleri; James Fordj Evelyn
Isaacs J Angelo Maramanoj Mildred R, Somes, Artist j
Margot Timsoni Sarah M. Usher, Indexer; Kathleen Wardj
Stephen R. Mller, Chairman,
Publication Date:
The fifteenth of each month
Deadline for submitting material:
The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
EDITORIAL
At the last business meeting of the Staff Association we
had difficulty in gathering a quorum,
Whose fault?
Wio knows i
Why? Lack of interest?
Maybe,'
Too busy to come?
Perhaps,'
Department couldn't spare you?
Hmmi
Whose Staff Association is it?
Yours i
How do we improve conditions?
By pitching in]
These questions are simple {
So are the answers!
BE THEREi
May 20th
Why?
n_ J _»
^ 2 ~
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
At the meeting on Friday, May 6, the
Executive Board was made aware of the
new developments concerning the Coffee
Shop, The Concessionaire, because of the
higher-than-anticipated expense of relo-
cation, has decided to give up his parti-
cipation in this venture, affective July
1, 1966. This creates a problem which
must be solved immediately in order to
meet the deadline of the clearing out of
the Annex, The Executive Board decided
to present the problem to the membership
at the May 20 Business Meeting and it
has been placed on the agenda.
The Board discussed cummunications be-
tween Administration and Staff, and the
new Collective Bargaining Law, Both of
these items have been placed on the
agenda, and it is hoped that a full dis-
cussion will develop, with the resultant
better understanding of these subjects.
All members are urged to make every
effort to attend the meeting on Friday,
May 20.
LOUIS POLISHOOK
PERSONNEL NOTES
New Employees ;
Thomas P. Coveney~Book Stack Service
Joseph E. Caparco — Book Stack Service
Sylvia Ferris—Cataloging and Classifi-
cation
John J, Jtilian— Book Selection
Susan S, Konotchick— Book Stack Service
Mrs. EliSB M, Rousseve—Mattapan
Married ;
Harriet McGrath, Book Purchasing, to
Michael Tiorano, Audio-Visual, May 1,
1966.
Transfers f
Mrs. Rosamond Preseau, Bookmobiles to
Dorchester
Michelle Tjmdal, Inter-library Loan, to
Cataloging and Classification
Paul Romano, Central Charging Records, tc
Branch Issue
Terminations ;
Katherine Herron — General Reference, an-
other position,
Jean Babcock— Officer-in-Charge, another
position. Federal Government,
Richard J, Forest — Science and Technolo-
gy, another position,
Jane Rust — Cataloging and Classification,
another position,
John C, Foley— Book Purchasing, to con-
tinue his writing,
Philip Fiattich— Patent Section, to work
for the Telephone Coupany, ' ■ '
Dennis O'Neill — Book Stack Service, an-
other position,
Sharon White— East Boston, to return to
Washington and attend the University of
Washington.
Ronald Dujon— Book Stack Service, another
position,
Gordon Perotti— Book Stack Service, an-
other position,
Genevieve A, Moloney— Branch Issue, an-
other position,
"THE NEW 1966 NATIONAL DRIVERS TEST"
The following is taken ft-om a letter
from J.J. Mullen, Program Director of the
Massachusetts Safety Council, Inc., ad-
monishing persons to watch and partici-
pate in "The New I966 National Drivers
Test" to be conducted on Tuesday, May 2I4,
between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p,m, on
Channel 5«
"As you know, during 1965, over 50,000
people lost their lives in highway
accidents within areas of o\ir 50
states, Massachusetts experienced
in that same period over 100,000
highway accidents resiilting in more
than 800 deaths,"
"Will better driving reduce such
tolls? We believe that a combina-
tion of safer drivers and cars en-
gineered for passenger safety will
result in fewer accidents and
deaths. We also believe you and
your fellow employees will become
better and safer drivers and bene-
fit from the exposure to the tests
that will be given on the night of
May 2ii,"
THE QUESTION MARK wholeheartedly sup-
ports Mr, Mullen's view and suggests that
each of us make every effort to be in
front of our TV's on Tuesday night at
10, The official test form is available
in the Information Office, or will be
reprinted in the various television maga-
zines,
STAFF REPRESENTATIVES
STAFF ASSOCIATION DUES FOR I966 ARE DUE.
Please do not forget to collect them.
- 3 -
IN MEMCRIAM
MARIE CASHMAN
To the public, she was Wlss Cashman, to
her nrultitude of friends, Marie, and now
that she is gone we are just beginning to
realize and appreciate how much she meant
to Open Shelf.
Marie Cashman entered the library ser-
vice in 1929, and worked in this depart-
ment since 1937. With a seemingly end-
less vitality, cheerful enthusiasm and
gay insouciance she made life happier for
all she served. It was her smile, and
the quick wit behind it, keen but always
kind, that endeared her to both public
and staff, who came to know also her in-
finite patience and quiet syrrpathy in
times of sorrow.
Our own sorrow was deep when we first
learned of Marie's illness. Stricken
with a cerebraillhemorrhage Janus ry fifth,
she remained in a coma until her death
April eleventh, so never knew of the con-
cern of the many who loved her.
Marie's loyalty to the B.P.L. was pro-
verbial, and rare indeed was the day
when she failed to report for work. When
holidays permitted, she traveled widely,
and our memoiaes are richer for having
shared vacation trips with her, or viewed
her slides and listened to her sparkling
accounts of journeys which in her company
became adventures.
Our sympathy is extended to her brother
and the many nephews she loved so dearly.
We can only hope that her own strong
faith and courage will be shared by them
and provide consolation in their loss
ANNE E. ARMSTRONG
THEODCRA B. SCOFF MEMORIAL FUND
A check for one hundred and sixty-six
dollars received in contributions for the
Theodora B. Scoff Memorial Fund was sent
to the lovely new Church of Our Lady of
the Annunciation in V'est Roxbury, where
a beautiful stained glass window repre-
senting SCIENCE has been named in memory
of the beloved branch librarian, vdio
dedicated her life to the pursuit of
learning,
A letter from her sister, Mrs, Edna
Gannam, expresses the appreciation of
Miss Scoff's family:
"... No words of mine can express the
feeling in my heart for what her
friends have done for her. I
know that she must know, as we all
believe, what is being done for
her memory. Please thank one and
all for their kindness..."
THE LIBRARY IN PRINT
It has become increasingly iitportant to
emphasize the library's problems effective-
ly if not dramatically through various pub-
lic relations media. In Free to All —
The Evolution of the Boston Public Library ,
an article appearing in the May issue of
BOSTON MAGAZINE, again an informative but
tempered essay is presented. The article
primarily discusses the lack of space,
particularly stack areas and closed office
space. The historical treatment of the
library is well-written, far from dull,
and hopefully appealing to the general
reader. The article closes with a brief
explanation of the library system, book
selection, and policies.
Interesting points are raised. To quote,
"An examining committee in 1921, issued a
report that said it was 'not too early to
begin considering plans for the new library
bTiilding that must inevitably be erected
in a few years ' ". Plans were postponed in
the last decade because of "financial
squeeze". The article does not stress
enough the real inconvenience to not only
the public but also the librarians of ij5
years of waiting for a new building. The
books going to Long Island are not pri-
marily "duplicates or older volumes" but
in many cases parts of vital research
collections making the library eligible to
be a member of "the prestigious Association
of Research Libraries" . Just because
books are old does not mean that they are
not called for.
The photographs used to accompany the
article are appealing but fail to portray
the space problems confronting the li-
brary today.
It is hard for a member of the B.P.L.
staff to judge such an article. It is
certainly interesting but perhaps lukewarm
in its effort to indicate what the library
is really up against in the next five
years. The article, nevertheless, is well-
balanced in its presentation as far as its
being an introduction to the B.P.L. for
the general public. Hopefully this intro-
duction will be followed by articles con-
•.!;»-
centrating on specific aspects of this
city's library service: finances, studait
use, information explosion and the like.
BRING BACK THE GOCD OLD DAYS??
"The average compensation of all these
persons, including the Librarian, Assis-
tant Librarian and Heads of Departments
under the salary schedule in force Jan-
uary 31, 1911, is $719»1<3 annually, the
averagjB of all the males being $903.66
and of the females $630.1^5 a year. Ex-
cluding the Librarian, Assistant Librariar
and ten other persons employed as Head of
Departments, the average salary paid to
the remaining 208 persons is $628,57 a
year. Of these 208 persons, 6I are males
who receive the average salary of $6h6.03
a year, and lii7 females who receive the
average salary of $621.21 a year. The
Custodians of the principal branches are
all women, and the salary fixed for the
position is $1,000.00 yearly." Wadlin's
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF THE CITY OF BOSTON
pp 211^-215.
BEST— SELLERS
On May 10, the tally on the Best-Sellers
in Open Shelf was as follows:
1. MRS. JACK by Louise Hall Tharp.
73 reserves, oldest reserve Octo-
ber 29, 1965. We have 7 copies,
85 reserves have been filled.
2. IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote.
63 reserves, oldest January 21.
On hand, k copies, 19 reserves
have been filled,
3. THE SOURCE by James Michener,
36 reserves. Oldest, December
30. On hand, 7 copies, 78 re-
serves have been filled.
I4. YES I CAN by Sammy Davis, Jr.
3ii reserves. Oldest, Januaiy
28, On hand, 3 copies, 19 re-
serves have been filled.
5. DOUBLE IMAGE by Helen Mclnnes.
3h reserves. Oldest, February
ii. On hand, I4 copies, 10 re-
serves have been filled.
6. GIFT OF PROPHECY by Helen Mont-
gomery. 29 reserves. Oldest,
January 7. On hand, 9 copies,
ii9 reserves have been filled.
7. INTERN by Doctor X. 23 re-
serves. Oldest, December 30,
1965. On hand, 9 copies, 92 re-
serves have been filled,
8. GIFT OF JOY by Helen Hayes.
22 reserves. Oldest, January
12, On hand, 1 copy, 10 re-
serves have been filled.
9, THE GENTIE AMERICANS by Hel-
en Howe, 20 reserves. Old-
est, January li;. On hand, k
copies, 37 reserves have been
filled.
10. THE PROUD TOWER by Barbara
Tuchman. 19 reserves. Old-
est, February I8, On hand,
1 copy, 8 reserves have been
filled.
11. UHSAFE AT ANY SPEED by_Ralph Nader.
18 reserves. Oldest, January 28.
On hand, 1 copy, only 1 reserve
has been filled,
12. GAMES PEOPLE PLAY by Eric Berne,
16 reserves. Oldest, February 10.
On hand, h copies, 31 reserves
have been filled.
A better over-all picture of the most
wanted books in the areas covered by the
Library can be had from Branch Issue which
is supposed to have a record of all the
reserves left in all the branches. Bookmo-
biles, Hospital Library and Open Shelf,
But since the clientele in this is not
just drawn from local inhabitants, the
picture above is representative enough,
I should have liked to add the date when
the first copy of any book above was first
received here, but unfortunately the ac-
cession date in new books, an item which
older members of the staff had thought as
inseparable from the book as its title, a
sort of permanent identification like a
birth certificate, has recently been un-
accountably abolished.
There are only 2 fiction on the list,
though the runner up with 15 reserves is
THE EMBEZZLER by Louis Auchincloss. Some
additional copies of these books have re-
cently been ordered, but have not yet
come. It is possible that we may have to
curtail the loan period for best sellers
in the future, ^^j^^^ ANDREWS
RECENT BOOKS
DOGS by Masters.
THE BOOK OF TREES AND SHRUBS by Bush,
YOUR WONDERFUL BABY by Potts,
•* "5 ••
VJIGGIN DIORMIAS OPEN TO PUBLIC
On May fifth the Wiggin dioramas were
unveiled to the public in a special
gallery adjoining the Albert H, Wiggin
Gallery on the third floor. Central li-
brary.
The dioramas are entitled Pfeifatmakers
at Work and are based on experiences: in
the lives of eleven artists. They were
commissioned by Mrs. Marjorie Wiggin Pres-
cott, daughter of Albert H. Wiggin, and
planned and made by Louise Stimson of
Concord. Each diorama is closely re-
lated to the Albert H. Wiggin collection
of Prints and Drawings.
Sinclair Hitchings, Keeper of Prints,
Mr. McNiff, J)fr. Lord, and Mrs, Prescott
were on hand to greet several hundred
guests at the reception for Miss Stimson.
Tea, coffee, sandwiches and cakes were
served. Pourers were Mrs. Milton B. Lord,
Miss Stimson 's sister, Edna, Mrs, Hitch-
ings and l-lrs. Guido R. Perera.
Miss Stimson 's work is well known to
the Library Staff through her Dickens '
London (Education), Alice in Wonderland
and The Arabian Mights (Children's Sec-
tion. Open Shelf*) ^ If you have not al-
ready seen her most recent masterpieces,
we urge you to do so.
BRANCH NOTES
The follo^^ring article appeared in the
March CHATTER, publication of the Orchard
Park Development in Roxb\iry:
"MT. PLEASANT LIBRARY
"A salute to Mt. Pleasant Branch Library
for being the first library in Roxbury
to have a new set of reference books en-
titled, 'Negro Heritage Library. « Read
about emerging African nations and their
leaders. Read «The Winding Road to Free-
dom. » This book starts from the beginning
of slavery to the present-day Civil Rights; dissatisfied with the Auditorium as its
not wasted their effort in obtaining these
books. Let us keep the dust and cobwebs
off these books by keeping them in contin-
ued use. Don't take my word for it, go to
your library this week and see and read
these wonderful books for yourself.
"Remember, they are REFERENCE BOOKS ONLY.'.'
I thank you and the Library thanks you.
DANIEL REASON"
Daniel Reason is one of our Young Adults
who use Mt. Pleasant. He was looking for
term-paper material for Negro History Week
and I showed him our brand new five-volume
Negro Heritage Library, These books in-
clude THE WINDING ROAD TO FREEDOM, PROii
FILES OF NEGRO WOMANHOOD, EMERGING AFRICAN
NATIONS AND THEIR LEADERS in two volumes,
and A MARTIN LUTHER KIM} TREASURY. They
are handsome books and apparently Daniel
was impressed. We're very happy to have
served.
POINT OF VIEW
Recently there has been much newspaper
space employed in complaint over the lack
of an opera house in Boston. It seems to
be an annual conplaint, recurring during
or right after the Metropolitan has played
itswsek of opera at the VJar Memorial Audi-
torium. Attendance during the recent
visit has dropped sharply over the 1965 "
one, at least as it seems to one observer.
(There has been nothing official to come
from the Boston Opera Association about
attendance figures, nor is there likely to
be.)
While one can agree wholeheartedly with
the complaints, it is difficult not to
feel it would be a misguided effort to at-
tempt to build a vnaTsnwoiM theatre for use
only one week during the year. If the
Metropolitan Opera Administration is as
Acti Also included in this volume are
all supreme court rulings concerning
civil rights, the March on Washington-iaiid
the Civil Rights Act itself. Read 'Pro-
file of Negro Womanhood' with famous
women such as Phyllis Wheatley, Elizabeth
Taylor and hundreds of other Negro women.
Read about Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Let us show our library that they have
patrons are, it can very well use Mr,
Sack's Music Hall, as the Bolshoi Ballet
is doing this month.
Much more inportant, it seems to me, is
that Boston provide a home for its resiiflent
companies: the Opera Coitpany of Boston and
the Boston Ballet. The Opera Company in
particular is constantly expanding its
activities, and eventually will need a
theatre of its own. A theatre seating
- 6 -
five or six thousand would be out of the
question, but one with a capacity of two
thousand woiild be assured good sight lines
from every seat and good acsoustics. The
local company has already proven its
ability to put on excellent performances
in a reconverted movie house. Given its
own theatre, it may well challenge com-
parison with its sister company in New
York,
ANGELO M. MAMMANO
NOTES FROM COPLEY SQUARE
The BOSTON SUNDAY HERALD carried three
articles by B.P.L. people in the SHOW
GUIDE section of the April 17th issue.
These articles were in connection with
National Library Week.
Mr. McNiff 's article dealt with how the
library had changed over the years, and
he pointed out the services which the
B.P.L. has to offer. His theme was
"Happiness is having your own library
card" .
Russell Scully, Coordinator of Book
Selection, reviewed the new books briefly
and emphasized that April was the time to
browse, scan, and read,
Mrs. Beryl Robinson, Open Shelf, point-
ed to some of the children's books which
may be of interest to adults. If you
missed these three articles it might be
well for you to go look them up. They
are not only informative but also show
some of the writing talent which our
people have.
•JHHr
■»-»-«•
While we are nn the subject of writing,
let us also call your attention to the
May 1st issue of LIBRARY JOURNAL which
has two book reviews by Mr, Carroll.
^iHHi -SHHl- ^-JHf
Patricia 0. Neth, Book Selection, be-
came engaged to Donald B. Wallace. No
date has been set for the wedding.
On April 19, 1966, Miss Helen M. Har-
rington became Mrs, Nicholas P. Jordan
in a double-ring ceremony in Bitburg,
Germany. The daughter of Book Selection's
Mrs. Harrig^ton, young Helen was married
by the chaplain at the air base where
First Lieutenant Jordan is stationed, fi
Mediterranean cruise is planned by the
newlyweds for early summer,
TIORANO ^ MCGRAIH
On Sunday, May 1, 1966, Harriet McGrath,
Book Purchasing, became the wife of
Michael Tiorano, Audio-Visual. They were
married in Saint Peter's Church, Dorchester.
Dennis 'Neill, formerly of Book Stack
Service, was Best Man, and Linda Ponticelli,
Office of Records, Files, Statistics, was
Maid-of-Honor,
The reception took place at the ^awmut
Associates' Hall in Dorchester. Many
friends from the library attended, along
with other friends and relatives, KEN
ROBERTS was the name of the Combo, in
which Richard Csmpagna, of Accounting, was
the drummer. (WOULD YOU BELIEVE, Richie
can also sing?)
Mike and "Bunny" spent their honeymoon
in Washington. They are now living in
Dorchester.
HOW TO MAKE A LIBRARY
Ingredients
1 plot of land
1 Building
? Shelves
Directions
? Books
? Staff
? Borrowers
? Service
Take one plot of land, add one building.
Add many shelves, fill generously with
books. Open doors as often and as long as
possible. Serve as many borrowers as pos-
sible. Smile — if you can find the book;
if you cannot find the book— never, but
never, frown.
If the above ingredients are mixed as
directed, you will see that although the
building is the body, and the books the
blood, the service you provide makes the
difference whether the building you work
in is just another building, or a library.
JOSEPH HARPER
- 7 «
COMMUNICATIONS CONTROVERST
,.."I have not ventured to speak from
any chance information , nor according to
any notion of my own ; I have deacribed
nothing but what I saw myself, r or learned
from others of whom I made the most care-
ful and particular inquiry. The task was
a laborious one because eyewitnesses of
the same occurance gave different accounfe
of them as they remembered, or were in-
terested in the actions of one side or
the other," Thucydides Pelop»nneolan
war. Book I, 22,
In the past week there has been much
controversy concerning "communication":
the lack of it, the overabundance of it,
and its misdirection. It seems that we
all talk too much or too little perhaps
failing to pass on the right information
to the proper people. Communication will
never be perfect as we all "impart, pass
on, gesture, signal" according to our in-
terpretation of the facts. "What he real-
ly meant to sfry" or "as I see it" are
familiar phrases used every day.
The Q.M. staff at its regular monthly
meeting, expressly invited Mr, McNiff,
Mr. Ettele, and Mr, Polishook to discuss
the problem of communication within the
B.P.L. system. However, as with the de-
partment heads meetings, an "air of mys-
ticism" fused through the library as to
the purpose of this meeting, "It's nevsr
been done before" or "Now Mr, McNiff is
trying to control what's written in the
Q.M," were actual remarks. Rumor, gossip
and misinformation showed that perhaps
communication failed again.
No great startling new revelations were
whispered in this meeting. We discussed
processes of making suggestions, levels
of communication, and what should be
communicated.
In conclusion, as was also stated in
the department heads meetings, worthvrfiile
suggestions should be made to department
heads, coordinators, or the proper author-
ities and acknowledged whether accepted
or not. If all fails, Mr. McNiff 's door
is open, and he does have a telephone.
Some suggestions may never be proven un-
til tried. Maybe a new policy might be |
better than "the way that it has always |
been done". Communication is a art.
Lets use it with discretion and authoritja
INCREASED RETIREMENT BENEFIT Bill. PASSED
The Quarter Century Association in 1965
indicated its support of two bills which
WDvild increase retirement benefits; H 3996
v^ich would base retirement on the last
two years' salary, and S 1089 'which would
base it on the last three years' salary,
rather than a five-year base as had been
in effect. Although support was lent to
each of these, we stressed ovir preference
for the former bill.
These bills were supplanted in the 1966
session of the Legislature by H 181|1 which
provides for a base of "any period of three
consecutive years of creditable service for
which such rate of compensation was the
highest, or on the average annual rate of
regular compensation received by such
member during the period of periods,
whether consecutive or not, constituting
his last three years of creditable service
preceding retirement, whichever is the
greater". Letters to the Clerk of the
House and the Clerk of the Senate last
month elicited the following information
regarding the status of the bill as of
April ihth:
Passed by the House on March 28th; re-
committed to the Committee on Pensions and
Old Age Assistance of the Senate,
A later check on May 13th with the Office
of the Clerk of the Fenate has provided
the welcome information that this bill
has just lately been passed by the Senate
and signed by the Governor, It is now
the law of the Commonwealth,
LEONARD J. MACMILLAN
President
Quarter Century Association
ELLEN PETERSON RETIRES
Thursday, May 5» was a pleasantly bright
spring day, when sixty-three friends and
fellow staff members gathered for luncheon
at the Hotel Lenox, to honor Ellen Peter-
son, branch librarian of Hyde Park, vtoo is
retiring on June 3.
Mr, Carroll spoke of her forty-seven
years of service, as a success story,
which started with her "walking up the
stairs as an Extra and down as Branch Li-
brarian", and of her particular contribu-
tion in sharing her knowledge of local
- 8 ^
history. A lifelong resident of Hyde
Park, Miss Peterson has always been in-
terested in the history of the community
and has become THE authority on persons
and places related to its history, Mr,
Carroll presented a gift with the best
wishes of all the many friends who have
known Miss Peterson over the years. When
removed from its attractive wrappings, a
navy blue silk purse was revealed, the
contents of which will make it possible
to secure a lasting remembrance. When
Miss Peterson had extended her greetings
and gracious words of acceptance, Mr.
McNiff added his personal expression of
appreciation and good wished.
Following a summer on the Cape, Miss
Peterson will be back in Hyde Park in the
fall ready to pursue her hobbies in her
new hours of leisure. She will be missed
but we hope to see her often.
■5H«t -JHHt *«*
May 12, 1966
Dear Friends and Co-workers:
This note of thanks will probably seem
somewhat tardy to you all, but I trust
you will understand.
It was very gratifying to know that I
was so well remembered during my illness
and misfortune. To acknowledge each one
individually, about 200, was too much of
a task.
Ky therapy at the rehabilitation is
still not conplete due to delay at the
center and distiirbing circumstances at
home, otherwise I had hoped to rejoin you
by now. My husband's sudden illness and
operation was quite a blow, and as his
progress is quite slow and uncertain it
is very difficult to predict ahead. So
I hope you vrill bear with me for my neg-
ligence in writing sooner.
Both Lew and I are staying at our
^ughter's home in Foxboro, v^ose address
is below if anyone cares to make con-
tacts.
Again, I thank you very much and hope
I may still have your well wishes and
prayers.
Gratefully yours,
MARGARET MORRISSEY
c/e Mankus
165 East Street
Foxboro
Massachusetts 02035
FORMER STAFF IN PRINT
In the opinion of Ervin J, Gaines, form-
erly of the B.P.L., the reference librari-
an is "the person to develop for the li-
brary of the future," In a recent article
in LIBRARY JOURNAL, he finds that the re-
ference librarian occupies the key posi-
tion in the library hierarchy because a
library's usefulness to the public depends
on a good staff; this in turn depends on
leadership, a quality central to the train*
ing of referance librarians. The "ideal"
reference librarian is a person with a
strong liberal education, a liking for
scholarship, managing and organizing abili-
ties, and a well-developed social aware-
ness. Since he "performs well in his in-
stitution when he is able to generalize
from the particulars of his work," he
ought to have a sceptical and analytical
habit of mind.
In a larger context, Gaines finds that
"the great weight of the public library
cannot be puliled along without a much
larger dadre of keen-minded, skeptical
and informed people mthin the profession
than we now have" and that these skeptics
will provide the leadership and raise the
tone of the profession. Reference li-
brarians are in the best position to do
this since they can recommend standards
of work and service, observe the needs of
patrons, and discover tftw^j-o ths .lHjasry has
failed — and then find new ways to surmount
the failure.
- 9 -
^Til \
After all life is not a bed of roses, so
vhy paint it othervdse?
"PERFILLIO RUBEROSO"
. -Any contribution to the Soap Box must
be accompanied by the full name of the
Association member submitting it, togeth-
er with the name of the Branch Library,
Department, or Office in which he or she
is employed. The nam.e is vjithheld from
publication, or a pen name is used, if
the contributor so requests. Anonymous
contributions are not given consideration.
The author of the article is known only
to the Editor-in-Ghief , The contents of
the articles appearing in the Soap Box
are personal opinions expressed by indi-
vidual Association members and their
appearance does not necessarily indicate
that the Publications Committee and iiie
Association are in agreement with the
views expressed. Only those contributions:
not containing more than 300 words will
be accepted.
To the Soap Box ;
Wliy must a department's supply cabinet
be emptied and the supplies put in any
comer available so that the head of the
department may have a separate closet for
clothing? Especially when close at hand
there are lockers designated for such a
purpose.
Just Wondering
Editor's Note ; I wonder, too]
To the Soap Box ;
I have read Mr, Andrew's article en-
titled, "The Ugly American," in last
monthisissue of THE QUESTION MARK. Could
not the reason that our image has been
blackened by some of our novelists be re-
lated to the period in which we ana living.
A RTHUR M. SCHLESINGER
No stranger to awards, historian Arthur
M, Schlesinger received, on May 2, the
1966 $500 P^ilitzer Prize in biography for
A THOUSAND DAYS: JOHN F. KENISDY IN THE
VJHITE HOUSE. This book, of which over
200,000 copies are reported now in print,
was also honored by the National Book
Award in March of this year. After cam-
paigning for Stevenson in 1952 and 19^6,
Schlesinger left his position as Professor
of Histoiy at Harvard, his almamater, to
become Special Assistant to the President
in 1961, He remained in Washington until
the summer after Kennedy's assassination,
and recently accepted the Albert Schweitzer
Chair in Humanities at the City University
of New York, In 19h$, at the age of 28,
Mr, Schleslinger received his first Pulit-
zer Prize; this one was awarded in history
for THE AGE OF JACKSON, Twice recipient
of the University of California's Foreign
Press Award, Mr, Schleslinger won both
the Bancroft and Parkraan Prizes in 1958,
- 10 -
MARY U. NICHOLS BOOK PRIZE AWARDS
Philip J. McNiff, Director of the Bos-
ton Public Library, made the presentations
at the Eighteenth Annual Award of the
Mary U. Nichols Book Prizes at North End
on Wednesday evening. May It, Michael
Marciello of Christopher Columbus High
School and Gloria Mancini of Julie Billi-
art High School received the awards—
J0URNAI5 AMD OTHER DOCUMENTS ON THE nFE
AND VOYAGES OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, by
Samuel Eliot Morison, and READER'S Elt.
CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN LITERATURE, by
Max J. Herzberg, respectively,
Mary U, Nichols was Branch Librarian at
North End from 19hl to 19i|8, It was she
who introduced puppetry to the North End
library program. When she died suddenly
at the Central Library, the people of the
North End and her library friends raised
a sum of money, the interest being used
each year to buy two books of lasting
value. The books are presented annually
to the "North End boy and to the North
End girl who in their senior year at a
North End high school have excelled in
English," Each book contains a bootplete,
designed by Arthur W, Heintzelman, who
was Keeper of Prints at the Boston Public
Library and an artist in his own right,
Mrs, Geraldine Herrick, Branch Librarian^
welcomed the large gathering to the Li-
brary for the Nichols Program and an-
nounced that it was also the first anni-
versary of the new North End,
Robert L. Castagnola served as program
chairman. The Chorus from Sacred Heart
Chiirch, North Square, delighted everyone
with selections of Italian Folk songs,
Dr, Giorgio de Santillana, Professor of
the History and Philosophy of Science at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
spoke briefly in Italian to the Choral
Group and then gave everyone present some4
thing to think about in his interesting
evaluation of Italy's contribution to
civilization,
Mrs, James Snyder, a sister of Miss
Nichols, came from Auburn, Maine, to at-
tend the program,
A birthday cake with one candle by an
open book was given to the Library for
its anniversary. The beautiful cake j
formed the center piece ©nthe table from!
which the Ladies ' Committee served punch j
and cookies. Flowers and plants from thei
community and a host of golden daffodils j
from Mrs, John W, Sears added to the at-
tractiveness of the Library, A social
hour was enjoyed by all following the
program,
A CHAIXENGE TO "RESTLESS RETIRED
UBRARIANS"— AND OTHERS
Record American
Sunday Advertiser
5 Winthrop Square
Boston, rtessachusetts 02106
April 17, 1966
Boston Public Library
Boston
Massachusetts 02117
Gentlemen :
Is IJiere one or more persons on the Li-
brary staff who might like to work on
their own time with me on a joint project
of research of two plays and be part own-
ers of tiie finished properties?
The subjects are:
Teddy Roosevelt
Aaron Burr
Both are interesting and I believe have
market possibilities for placement, which
I will discuss with the interested pare-
ties.
At leisure, the work could be done in a
week or so.
Sincerely,
Signed: MARK FINLEY
Mark Finley
Promotion Director
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BOSTON PUBLIC , LIBRARY STAFF ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES - I966
President
Vice President
Corresponding Secretary-
Recording Secretary-
Treasurer
Columba Bartolina
Mrs, Geraldine Beck
Louis PoMshook
Warren Harrington
Marion McCarthy-
Mrs. Dorothy Ekstrom
Rhoda Blacker
Executive Board
Linda Ivers
Mrs. Sadie Rotondo
Note : Most recent past president, Mary T. Crowe, is a non-voting mem-
ber of the Board, Stephen R. Miller as Editor of Publications
(or a member of the Publications Committee) is "allowed to at-
tend the meetings of the Executive Board but not to take part
in the discussions or in the -roting".
Committees
C.A«R.E«
Concessions and House
Constitution
Entertainment
Hartzell Memorial Lecture
Legal and Legislative
Membership and Hospitality
Nominating
Personnel
Program
Publications
Josephine H. Kelley
■«■ George Gentile
•«* Mrs, Dorothea Morgan
Mrs. Claire 'Toole
Margaret Thrasher
Kenneth Billiard, Chairman
Elizabeth Barlow
Mrs. Jennie M, Kielczewski
Warren Harrington, Chairman
Michael Craven
Paula Giacobbe
Ronald Logan
Richard J. Cronin, Chairman
Mrs. Laurelle E. Cole, Chairman
Irene Mains
Gladys R. White
Rhoda Blacker, Chairman
Mrs, Josephine Kelley
Mrs. Helen Lord
Macy Margolis
Barbara Stenglein
Mrs. Sadie M, Rotondo, Chairman
TO BE APPOINTED IN NOVEMBER
Alvis H. Price, Chairman
Warren Harrington, Chairman
Members of Executive Board, ex-
cluding Mr. Polishook
Harry Andrews
Mrs, Julia M. Breveleri
James J. Ford
Mrs. Evelyn Isaacs
Angelo Mammano
Mildred R. Somes, Artist
Sarah M, Usher, Indexer
Kathleen Ward
Stephen R. Miller, Chairman
- Ig" -
Special Services Rosemarie DeSimone
Mrs, Francine Galver
Mrs. Corinne Henderson
Mrs. Mary LaFollette
Mrs, Lucja Jaeger
Mildred Presente
Mrs. Dorothy Ekatr&B, .Chairman
Staff Library Mrs. Laura H. Reyes, Chairman
■«■ — Representative of the Boston Public Library Building Service
Employees International Union, Local #i(09 (AFL)
■K-»— Representative of other groups not represented in the Associ-
ation or the Union
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Voluine XXI, Number 6 June^ 1966
Publications Committee: Harry Andrews; Julia M, Brevelerij James Ford; Evelyn
Isaacs; Angelo Mammano; Mildred R. Somes, Artist;
Margot Timson; Sarah M. Usher, Indexer; Kathleen Ward;
Stephen R, Miller, Chairman.
Publication Date: Deadline for submitting material:
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
THOUGHTS BEFORE A CONVENTION— AN EDITORIAL
Next month, in New York City, librarians from all over the country will be at-
tending the American Library Association Convention. Many of us will be making the
short trip to join in the proceedings. Because of the significance of this annual
meeting, one's thoughts turn to what is happening in the profession as a whole.
Since the first ALA meeting in I876, many Idlings have happened. It might be
pointed out, however, that many of the greatest strides forward have been made in
recent years. It will be appropriate for us to look at some of these achievements
briefly.
First, there are the tremendous gains made in library cooperation. Inter-li-
brary loan is an important department in every library regardless of its size or
nature. Foreign books and periodicals are coming to the libraries of this country
through the Farmington Plan, LACAP, P. L. ii80, and Section C, Title 2 of the Higher
Education Facilities Act that states that the Library of Congress is allowed to buy
research material from all over the world. State and regional libraries are being
established throughout the country, and the day is coming when a resident may v.s^
any library in his state to check out books. Some believe that this will soon be
the case on a national basis.
Second, state and federal government are realizing the need for strong collec-
tions more than ever and are being very generous in their appropriations. The Li-
brary Services Construction Act and the clauses pertaining to libraries in the Ele-
mentary, Secondary, and Higher Education Acts are witnesses to this fact.
Third, the image of the librarian is changing. National recognition of li-
brarianship as a profession has been given by such inportant media as ATLANTIC and
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Some of the library schools are hiring full-time recruiters
to visit high schools and colleges. Salaries are on the rise in most cases.
These are only a few of the things which are happening in our profession. We
are involved not only as members of the staff of the Boston Public Library, but as
members of the profession of librarianship. This applies not only to Assistant
Directors and Department Heads, but to Professional Library Assistants as well.
** ^ •*
Those who work in the Stacks and do the clerical work also have their part to play
in the work of the library. Let us all be proud that we work in the Library in such
an age,
■ THE PUBH CATIONS COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT'S NOTES planning stages as well as the Central Li-
brary. West End, Fields Corner, Brighton
The Executive Board held its May meeting Regional Center (a reference and circula-
on Friday, June 3»
The subject of the Coffee Shop was dis-
cussed, and it was disclosed that word is
being awaited frt)m Schrafft's, a firm
which is contemplating the running of our
Coffee Shop, In its initial proposal, it
was noted that they are going to attempt
both personal service and coin operated
machine service. This would be advanta§
geoustto those staff members who work al^^tB,
Saturdays and Sundays.
The matter of salary increases was also
discussed, and the President was instruct- system as a \diole, however, is the addition
ed to make further and more specific in-
qvdry concerning this,
Ifey we congratulate the membership for
its co-operation and attendance both at
the May Business Meeting and at the
Spring-Svimmer Program. The Association
wishes to express its thanks to the mem-
bers of the Committeea \dio worked hard to
make the program a success, blanks are
also extended to the Buildings Department
for its help in preparing the Lecture Hal] to costs increasing from 11 million to 18
for our program.
LOUIS POLISHOOK
AN EVENING WITH THE DIRECTCR
"The Library cannot sit back and
wait for people to come to them."
"May get worse before it gets
better."
"Put us back to the forefront
where we once were, not of pub-
lic libraries but of American
libraries."
With his usual infectious enthusiasm as
shown by "Oie quotations above, Philip J.
MsNiff, Director of the Boston Public Li-
brary, addressed the Spring-Summer meet-
ing of the Staff Association on Friday,
June 3» His opening remarks stressed
that it is a pleasure to work with the
Association and its officers. The opera-
tion of the library is successful only as
the staff as a whole makes it so.
The building plans for the future are
extensive. Six new buildings are in the
ting collection to serve Brighton and All»
^s^tQtKB but not to replace the existing
Branch Libraries) Roxbury, South End, and
hopefully Charlestown are buildings of the
future giving "tremendous new impetus to
the branch activities of the Boston Public
Library", and "immediate points of con-
tact with so many residents of the city,"
In expanding the branch system, the li-
brary must reevaluate its services to the
disadvantaged.
The most iirportant structure to the B.P.L.
to the Central Library. Mr, McNiff stress-
fidl that under the existing conditions we
cannot expect to give the same quality of
service as has been done in the past but
we must renew the service and make it bet-
ter as the new bxjilding materializes. The
new building should adequately serve Boston
for twenty-five years and optimistically
will be ready by I969 but by 1970 definite-
ly. The delay, of course, has been due
or 19 million. Ihe situation has been un-
fortunate but also fortunate, said Mr.
McNiff, in that we have been able to take
a second look at some of the programs for
the new building.
Moving from the physical aspects of the
library to its programs, Mr. McNiff out-
lined some of the programs and purchases
in progress: possible purchase of Italian
librettos, the Carducci collection (Italian
literary figure), a specialized collection
on Boston, books on the art of printing,
and the work with the Ashmoleon Museum
in Oxford on Griggs, the English print-
maker. We are striving also to collect
intensively on Boston, Massachusette,
and New England. In addition, he stated
"Uiat Mr. Carroll has asked all the branches
to outline their basic needs for carrying
on programs. The emphasis is on maintain-
ing a balance between the public services
and scholarly research services: neither
one outdoing the other. The new bxiilding
will contain a large open shelf circulating
collection of some half million books in-
- 3
eluding adult, young adult, and Qhildren's
collections, as well as basic research
tools for students.
The question period foUovdng pointed
out additional needs such as: audio-visua]
equipment, reclassification, and personnel
recruitment. Mr. McNiff stressed that it
is inpossible to reclassify one position
without upsetting the balance of all po-
sitions. Therefore, all positions, are be-
ing studied in the library as well as the
recruitment programs. The new salary
schedule has been accepted by the Trustees
and awaits implementation by the City,
The Library administration and trustees
have worked hard on this problem, and it
is now in the hands of the city officials.
The "surprizing weaknesses" Mr. >fcNiff
found in our system aret the organiza-
tional patterns (such as two book selec-
tion and two cataloging departments), ex-
cess of paperwork, a fascination with
statistics, the division of the library in--
to so many compartments, and the poor phy-
sical condition of the book stock. But
far overridding these weaknesses are' the
"surprizing strengths": the enthusiasm oi
the staff and the spirit of cooperation
and the excellent retrospective collecbiore
of this library particularly prior to
World War I,
For the several members of the Staff
Association present Mr, McNiff 's informal
lecture was highly informative as well as
interesting. It is perhaps unfortunate
that more people were not there because a
second-hand reiteration of such a speech
is unable to convey the spirit of the
original.
MARGOT TIJBON
QUESTION MARK POLL '
We would like to call yd)ur attention to
the June 6 issue of PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.
Beginning on page 22^ you will find the
Revised Summer Reading List for Secondary
Schools . How many of these have you read?
Supposing you were to reconmesnd to a
person two booksfSshirt he must read, Wiat
two wouid you recoiranend? One fiction and
one non-fiction. Jot these down on a
piece of paper and send them to the Editor
of the Q.M. along with your reasons for
choosing these two (or more). We'll pub-
lish the results in forhtcoming issues.
This is the first of Q,M. Foils. There
will be more as we go along. Let us hear
from you.
THEODORA SCOFF MEMORIAL
May 18, 1966
Miss Mildred Kaufman
11 Ferncroft Road
West Roxbury, Ifess,
02132
Re: Theodora B. Scoff Ifemorial Fund
Our Lady of the Annunciation Church
Dear Mildred:
My mother had written to me to tell me
of the generous donation which you and
sixty-two other good friends of my Aunt
Theo from the Boston Public Library have
Just made to Our Lady of the Annunciation
Church in her memory. This donation \ri.ll
be used by the Church for a stained glass
window which will be dedicated to her mem-
ory.
To my Aunt Theo the Boston Public li-
brary was more than just a job—it was the
central point of her life apart from her
family, I know that her conception of the
library was not Just as a depository of
books but as a living store of knowledge
and as an instrument by which that know-
ledge could be made available to the peo-
ple. She loved books and what was in
them. Just as she learned so much from
them herself, she wanted to encourage
others to do the same, I know that my own
love of and respect for good books stems
from my Aunt's example. My Aunt felt very
possessive about the Boston Public Li-
brary and particularly about the Mattapan
Branch which she often referred to as "her
library" ,
If she had any disappointment in her
chosen work, it was that the library was
not used even more then it was despite the
fact that such increased use would mean
more work for her and her staff. She has
had the pleasiire of knowing that many of
those who used "her library" used it well,
I believe that the noted author, Theodore
White, was one such person. The other
great pleasure that she had was the
friendship of all of the wonderful people
with whom ihe had associated in her li-
brary career. Your generous contribution
in her memory tells her family that her
warmth of feeling for all of jrou was re-
ciprocated by you for her.
-u -
On behalf of all the members of Theo's
family, I would like to express oxir deep
gratitude for your generous act and ask
that you, Mildred, will be kind enough to
express that gratitude to all of yoiir fel-
low contributors to this memorial.
Most sincerely,
Nicholas Gannam
1360 Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois
ATROCITIES
A jaunty young man breezed in the other
day and asked for some books on Nazi atro-
cities. He had just returned from a few
years* stay in Germany, and had liked the
country and the people very much. No nne
he met would adirdt they had ever heard
what the Nazis had done to Europe and its
conquered peoples, and he could not be-
lieve that the very nice Germans them-
selves he met every day could in any way
have been guilty of such barbarities.
Now that he was home, he wanted to check
up on the question via books in his home
town library.
In an interesting article on book selec-
tion in a recent issue of the LIHIARY
JOURNAL I had run into the phrase "ideo-
logical neutrality" as a necessity for the
librarian, and I generally agree. But
the Nazis destroyed not only people but
libraries and books, and that's where a
librarian has to stop being neutral. So
I first of all told the young man what
Churchill had said about the Germans, that
they behave quite differently in victory
than they do in defeat. Where Churchill
preached for his Englishmen the credo:
IN VICTCRI, MAGNANIMITY; IN DEFEAT, DEFI-
ANCE, the Germans, he said^ were like one
breed of dogs, "at your -Uiroat, or at
your feet." Terror, murder and schrek-
lichkeit all over Europe from 1933 to 19U5
and lieder and gemuhtlichkeit since. But
I promised the young man to get him a ccrni-
prehensive list on the subject in a few
days, and in the meantime I went to get
him a couple from the shelves. I found
nothing in.
Now I have been handling requests and
books on the subject for many years and
am familiar with the material we have at
the library. And I have formed some opin-
ions. The two greatest phenomena of the
twentieth century, perhaps of all centur-
ies, are the achievements of science in
laboratory and space, showing the heights
man can reach with his mind, and the Nazi
atrocities against human beings, showing
the depths man is capable of descending to
morally. For 500 years the Spanish.
Inquisition was public enemy number one
for the western liberal intellectual. But
the Nazis took the Inqiiisition off the
hook, and for the next thousand years, in
a someidiat different sense than planned by
Hitler and Goebbels, Germany will be re-
membered by all who read history^
Unfortunately the docuinentation in li-
braries of this subject is not commensurate
with its vast importance. When I went to
the catalog to make the list for the young
man, I found no listing at all for ATROCIi.
TIES, the most obvious heading, not even a
see card. There is a heading for CONCEN*
^ITION CAMPS, but that lists also books
on Japanese canps, and the Algerian situa-
tion. Some of the books are listed under
the names of individual camps, like DACHAU,
BUCHENWALD, AUSCHWITZ, etc. Other books
are listed under WORLD WAR, 1939-19ii^,
ATROCITIES (the most useful heading). Still
others are under WORLD WAR, 1939-19li5,
PERSONAL NARRATIVES; WORLD WAR, 1939-19il5,
PRISONS AND PRISONERS; GERMANY, POLITICS
AND GOVERNMENT; JEWS IN EUROPE, PERSECU-
TIONS; and a few others. The books are in
too many different places sin the catalog
and in too many different places on the
shelves.
r&ny of the best books on the subject are
no longer listed in the Open Shelf catalog.
Some have been "overdetained" and some are
"missing". But I had not expected quite
such a startling denudation of the shelves
of books in this area. It almost seems as
if some person or group is deliberately
removing such books from otjt shelves. And
this would be a sort of atrocity itself.
For various reasons I think the following
ten books give the best picture of the
whole subject, and I hope our catalogers
will list them all under the one sensible
headings ATROCITIES.
1, Cetynski, THE HOUSE OF DOLIS
2, Harris. TYRANNY ON TRIAL
3, Hoess. COMMANDANT AT AUSCHWITZ
I, Hilberg. DESTRUCTION OF THE JEWS OF
EUROPE
5. Karski. STORY OF A SECRET STATE
6. Kogon, THEORY AND PRACTICE OF HELL
7. Lengyel, FKITE CHIMNEYS
5 «
8. Reitlinger, THE FINAL SOLUTION
9. Rousset. THE OIHER KIN3D0M
10. Van Paassen, DAYS OF OUR YEARS.
HARRY ANDREWS
THE corn NO MACHINE EXPLOSION
OR
THE ASSASINATION AND PERSECUTION OF HAND -
WRITIM}
No more library cards.' No more recordsi
Central Charging are you doomed? Perhaps
only a maintenance man will be needed to
repair broken copying machines of patrons.
It is difficult to realize the effects
of the copying machine on the future un-
til someone puts in print the potential
use of such handy devices. Herbert S.
Bailey Jr. in Book Publishing and the New
Technologies (SATURDAY REVIEW, June 11,
1966) outlines such potential. First, he
finds that it will be common to have your
own personal copying machine to copy what-
ever you like and make copies of copies.
But for libraries, the effect of the new-
er and technologically better machines is
staggering.
"Libraries have only begun to real-
ize the potential of copying machines.
Since photocopies will soon be pro-
duced at less cost than acqviiring ori-
ginal books, there will be no need for
any well-equipped and well-organized
library to have more than one copy of
any book. Nor will there be any need
to maintain the costly apparatus of
general circulation; it will be cheap-
er to provide a library-user with his
own copy of whatever he wants, and no
book will ever go out of the librari-
ans direct control— a librarian's
dream J"
But listen further--
"The development of cheap copiers
is just the beginning. Using the
copying technology, we can e3q)ect re-
mote copying to follow shortly. A
book or article will be inserted in a
machine in New York and a copy will be
produced in Chicago or California,
transmitted over a network of wires
connecting all major libraries and
perhaps bbokstores. Think what a
boon to libraries this would be-Hin-
stant inter-library loan from a single
copiplete collection, perhaps the Li-
brary of Congress, Only one copy of
each book would be needed for national
library use, and the enormous expense
of repeated cataloging and shelving
would be saved,"
The whole problem of copyright must be
solved in light of these predictions.
But the article closes with a word of cau-
tion by reminding us that the great pro-
mise of television only led to a wasteland
of "trivia and pap". Hopefully the new
technology will not have the same effect
on books,
MARGOT TIJBON
A BOUQUET FOR MUSIC
LADD I. JOHNSON
68-OI1 Clyde Street
Forest Hills 7^, L6ng Island
New York City
May 22, I966
Mrs, Ruth Bleecker
Curator of Music
Boston Public Library
Copley Plaza
Boston 17, Massachusetts
Dear Ifrs, Bleecker,
When I visited you last Labor Day week-
end to study the Gorokhoff collection of
Russian Chiirch music (I was on my way
from the northwoods of Canada— and dressed
the part) I promised to send you a record
of the Slavonic Arts Society entitled
"Russian Liturgical Masterworks" and sung
by the Slavonic Cappella Ensemble, It
has been mailed to you under s^arate
cover and with my compliments .
For my part I am delighted that the en-
tire collection of Ivan T, Gorokhoff has
been well preserved by your Library and
that itia once again available ► I' also
thought that you might like to have a man-
ifest example of substantive work result-
ing from your efforts. I am sure that you
frequently pause to wonder whether your
thorough and dedicated efforts lead to
fruition.
The Slavonic Arts Society has been estab-
lished to print long-lost music, to make
more records, to hold exhibits and lectures
and to print monographs on Russian Church
music and subjects related to Orthodoxy
to make it more understandable.
« 6 -
Should you want another record for the
lending library, please let me know.
Sincerely,
LADD I. JOINS ON
A.B.C.D. PROJECT
Many people have asked Mrs. Scanlan
about her work with the A.B.C.D, Project,
THE QUESTION MARK asked her if she would
write an article about her activities.
We appreciate her contribution.
The A.B.C.D, Program began in the Bos-
ton Public Library, as far as my part was
concerned, in December of I96I4. I had
been concerned about the condition of the
books in the stacks and what might happen
to them in the move to Long Island, and
was therefore very much pleased when I
was asked to supervise a class of girls
who had been recruited through the ef-
forts of the South End House, Roxbury
headquarters for the A.B.C.D. I was to
teach them book repair in order that we
might do something about these books be-
fore moving them to Long Island.
The girls and their supervisor appeared
on time but were very reserved and polity
and seemed to me to be a bit belligerent.
Books and the library meant nothing to
them as high school drop-outs, and the
Library was the last place they wanted to
be. They had begun "Uieir first year of
high school but because of racial pins-
blems in their part of the city, they
were not happy and had left after one or
two months of schooling.
It was not long before I had another
class in the morning of Puerto Rican
girls with their supervisor who was to
translate for us. They came in from
nine until twelve. There were seven of
them, and though they all lived in Boston,
none of them had been in the United
States very long. They spoke little or
no English but talked continually among
themselves in their native tongue. I
was to teach the supervisor in each class
and then have them teach the girls, but
the classes fluctuated so much, that we
were botb busy all day. The girls would
come one day and leave the next, and then^
after they had been replaced, would re-
turn.
The girls in the afternoon class all
lived in Boston, but some had come fVom
the South. I had them from Georgia, Ala-
bama, North and South Carolina and one
from Florida „ These girls finally learned
to shelve books and turned out to be very
conscientious and hard workers, I had
trouble with only two who finally were
told that they would have to leave the
class. These two wotild whisper between
themselves and when I objected, they in-
formed me they could not speak out loud
because their conversation was too mature
for me to hear.
I would say the experiment, if I may
call it that, iras a success. Both class-
es worked very hard and they certainly
saved a large part of our book stock from
being lost or destroyed in moving. We
had to move into the stacks soon after we
started on this work and Jxist tie and
label books from tables in the alcoves,
because a great number of books had to be
handled. Repairing had to be given up be-
cause we had movers coming in and we were
trying to save book covers and loose pages.
At present I have six girls from the
Boston Trade School for Giris who come
from 3 to 5 after school. They are doing
very well and, because of their training
in school, have been easier to teach and
supervise, I am hoping they may be able
to stay at least as long as we have the
Annex floor under us,
MRS. ANNA SCANLAM
CHARLES RIVER LIHIARY CLUB
War, Carroll has membership applications
for I966-I967. If anyone would care to
join, please contact his office.
A. L, A. Annual Conference
NEW YORK CITY
July 10-16
See you there?
HARRIET SWIFT MEMORIAL
The Harriet Swift Memorial gift was pre-
1 sented to the Board of Trustees at its
I meeting on Friday, May 13, 1966, with the
' accompanying letter of transmittal:
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
I 5 ffey 1966
To the Trustees
of the Public Library
of the City of Boston
Gentlemen:
On October 25, 1965, Miss Harriet Swift^
Curator of Americana, Emeritus, passed a-
way. Many of her friends, both active and
retired, vriio had known her during her
thirty-«ight years of service in the Bos-
ton Public Library, e:q)ressed a wish to
contribute to a memorial in her name. A
Committee was formed which received vol-
untary contributions.
The Oommittee also welcomed and evalu-
ated all suggestions made to it concern-
ing the form the memoirial mi^t take. It
considered the personality and capabili-
ties of Harriet Swifts her courage, in-
tegrity, forthrightness, and loyalty, on
the one hand; her dry wit, her capacity
for fun, and her love of the feminine
arts— cooking, sewing, and flower garden-
ing—on the other. It recalled the hi^
ideals of professional service to which
she adhered, and which were a natural in-
heritance from her father, Lindsay Swift,
one of the Library's distinguished Editors
of Publications, of ^om she was justifi-
ably proud. Together, their two-genera-
tion service to the Library spanned more
. than fovir-score consecutive years. But,
' always the Committee came back to the mem-
ory of Harriet Swift's interest in, and
awareness of, her co-workers as individu-
als, and of her enthusiastic support of,
and willing participation in, staff acti-
vities and festivities.
The Committee finally concluded that
a gift which would bring continuing enjoy-
ment to the Staff would be one which woulc
most fittingly honor her memory. Acting
upon its decision, and on behalf of her
many friends, active and retired, in the
Boston Public Library, the Committee here-
by presents to the Trustees of the Public
Library of the City of Boston, as a mem-
6r±al to the late Harriet Swift and for
use by the Staff at social functions, a
^s^Ug^Pau^Revg^bov^^^isc^^eda^^^
folloire:
In Memory of
Harriet Swift
Boston Public Library Staff Member, 1921-195'
daughter of Lindsay Swift
Boston Public Library Staff member, 1878-192:
Given by Her Associates
Sincerely,
THE COMMITTEE
(s) HARRY C. FLETCHER H arry C. Fletcher
(s) MftDALENE D. HOLT M adalene D. Holt
(s) LOUISA S. FETCALF Louisa S, Metcalf
(s) EILEN M. Oimm E llen M. Oldham
(s) MILDRED R. SCaiES " Mildred R. Somes
(s) SARAH M. USHER S arah M. Usher
The following letter of acceptance has
been received from the Director:
15 June 1966
Dear M3.ss Usher t
The Trustees at their Bost recent meet-
ing accepted the silver Paul Revere bowl
irtiich was presented to the Library in mem-
ory of Miss Harriet Swift, Curator of
Americana, Emeritus, by her many friends.
A copy of the foniial vote is attached.
This generous gift, which will grace
the table at future Staff social functions,
recalled Miss Swift's many years of active
and dedicated service as well as the dis-
tinguished contribution of her faliier, Mr,
Lindsay Swift, I am pleased that the Li-
brary has this memorial recalling the more
than fourscore years of consecutive service
by Miss Swift and her father.
(Signed)
Sincerely yours,
PHILIP J. ICNIFF
Director
13 May 1966
"VOTED: that the Trustees of the Public
"library of the City of Boston
"accept with warm gratitude fi-om
"Library friends of the late
"Harriet Swift, Curator of A
"Americana, Emeritus, the gift
"•f a silver Paul Revere bowl in
"her memory for use by the Library
"staff at social functions,"
A true copy.
Attest: ELIZABETH B. EROCKUNIER
Clerk
mUBMMHMMHl
II MIim i l ll l l lM ll ll ll lll ld H III I I II
• 8 .
PERSONNEL NOTES
New Enployees ;
Book Stack Service ;
Joseph. G, Brady-
Michael E. Carey
Laiira Cox
Robert Griffin
Sandra L. Moro
Stephen M, Moylan
Ann Marie Coyne— Open Shelf
Joseph McNiff—Open Shelf
Carren Mandee— Business Office
Susan L. DeFronzo — ^East Boston
Diane Fa rr en— Adams Street
Lois P» Strother — Cataloging and Class-
ification, R, and R.S,
Alan G, Vonderhae — Cataloging and Class
ification, R. and R.S,
RuthS. Chasen— Roslindale
William A. Riley—Office of Records,
Files, Statistics
Ann O'Neil — Codman Square
Married ?
Roberta Permatteo— Book Purchasing, to
Albert W. Gataldo, Jr., on May 22,
1966.
Transferred :
John Pelose — ^Duplicating to Book Selec-
• tion.
Terminations t
Jane Rust— Cataloging and Classifica-
tion, to work at MIT,
Mrs. Ellarose Leimberg — Codman Square,
to return to Philidelphia xdiile hus-
band enters service,
Gail M. Devlin — Home Reading Division
Office, to return to college.
Sxisan Konotchick~Book Stack Service, •
to live in New Hampshire,
Maryanna Bloch— Uphams Corner, moving
out of state.
Mary Ellen Brooks — ^Memorial, Marry and
live in the Midwest,
Ellen J, Barton — Cataloging ani Class-
ification, H,R. and C,S,, to marry
and go abroad,
Robert Contant— Central Charging Record^-t^
to irork at Harvard,
Mrs, Kathleen Knuettel— Bookmobiles,
moving out of state,
Judith S, Nor en— Orient Heights,
,s:oAP
Any contribution to the Soap Box must be
accorpanied by the full name of the Associ-
ation member submitting it, together with
the name of the Branch Library, Department,
or Office in which he or she is employed.
The name is withheld from publication, or
a pen name is used, if the contributor so
requests. Anonymous contributions are not
given consideration. The author of the
article is known only to the Editor-in-Chief.
The contents of the articles appearing in
the Soap Box are personal opinions express-
ed by individual Association members and
their appearance does not necessarily in-
dicate that the Publications Committee and
the Association are in agreement with the
views expressed. Only those contributions
not containing more than 300 words will be
accepted.
Dear Soap Box:
What ever happened to the STAFF MEMO?
We miss iti
"WE"
Pa\il Buck, librairian emeritus of Harvard,
says: "If the virtues that should charac-
terize a library could be suggested by a
single word, it would be responsiveness ,
o»,the best librarians, the best academic
librarians, and the best acquisitions li-
brarians may properly be characterized by
e same word". From L.J, 1 ffey »66
p. 227li
J
in
UGSiion
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LI BR AW
JULY 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Publiehed by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Volume XXI « Number 7 July« I966
Publications Coimnittee: Harry Andrews; Julia M. Brevelerij James Fordj Evelyn
Isaacsj Angelo Maramano; Mildred R. Somes, Artistj
Margot Timsonj Sarah M, Usher, Indexer; Kathleen Ward;
Stephen R, Miller, Chairman,
Publication Date: Deadline for submitting materials
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
EDITCRIAL
Since this is an A.L.A, Issue, we will defer to our national association and
postpone all discussion of B.P.L. issues till September. See you then,
THE PUBLICATIONS COMITTEE
2 -
SPECIAL UERARIES ASSOCIATION
1966 CONVEmON
The 57th annual convention of the Spe»
cial Libraries Association opened in
Minneapolis on May 2$, 1966 at the Raddi-
sfflon Hotfel, The convention theme — The
Special Librarian, vital link in communi-
cation.
On Sunday evening a convention receptior
and opening of exhibits took place, fol-
lowed by a dinner and the first general
session. The kejtnote address was given
by Dr. Walter Heller, former chairman of
the President's Council of Economic Ad-
visors and currently. Professor of Eco-
nomics, University of Minnesota, He pre-
sented a vigorous and dynamic speech on
the changing attitudes toward deficit
spending in this country and economic
planning in the multi-billion dollar
world of government. With hviinorous anec-
dotes, he recalled personal episodes of
his years in Washington under President
Kennedy and Johnson, At the conclusion
of his talk. Dr. Heller was given a
standing ovation for a splendid presenta-
tion of a con^slex subject.
Many of the sixteen divisions had hos-
pitality suites open each evening so that
members might meet others in similar
fields of interest. These gatherings are
a fine opportunity to become acquainted
with other librarians and renew friend-
ships from year to year. The Business
and Finance Division celebrated the 50th
anniversary of its founding with a birth-
day luncheon on Monday,
At the second general session on Monday
morning, Dr, George Shapiro, Professor of
Communication Arts and Sciences, Univer-
sity of Mnnes^ta, spoke upon Human Prob -
lems in Communications . The normal re-
sult when two humans try to communicate
is confusion and misunderstanding.
Through examples and audience participa-
tion devices, he demonstrated the com-
plexity of communication when not prac-
ticed carefully and efficiently. The fo-
cus on this problem as a central part of
the special librarian's responsibility in
his relations with patrons, management,
subordinates and peers, was developed in
a most fascinating and informative pres-
entation.
The Tuesday session was a panel dis-
cussion followed by seven circles of
communication. These groups discussed
communication with management, with li-
brary patrons, other libraries, etc., each
individual selecting the circle of great-
est interest to him. The whole group met
again and a resume of the circle discus-
sions was presented. The annual business
meeting took place on Wednesday morning
and Thursday was devoted entirely to di-
vision activities.
Each afternoon there were luncheons and
meetings by division according to the
special interests of the group. As a mem-
ber of the Publishing Division, I attenl-
ed all of the varied activities of my di~
vision. A luncheon on Monday was followed
by our business meeting and plans for the
next year. Only in New York does the
group meet as a division for most members
are concentrated in the New York and
Chicago areas. The following day, we had
a luncheon at the University of rdnnesota
with Howard Haycraft, President of H, ¥,
Wilson Co., and John Ervin Jr., Director
of University of Minnesota Press, as
guests. In the afternoon we toured the
James Ford Bell collection and the Ames
Library of South Asia at the University.
On another afternoon, we had a workshop
on library publications in which the li-
brarians of St, Paul and Minneapolis par-
ticipated,
Mr. Erwin Gaines, formerly oflhe Boston
Public Library staff, is now librarian of
Minneapolis Public Library and he was one
of the panel members. He invited us to
his handsome modern library and showed us
the departments of particular interest to
us.
On Thursday, I took an all day tour of
General Ifi.lls Company. We were escorted
through the Research Center and library,
sampled textured proteins, heard an inter-
esting account by Dr. A.D,Odell on the
successful development of soy bean pro-
ducts to relieve world starvation partic-
lolarly in Africa and India. The company
served us an excellent luncheon (no soy
beansl). We toured the Betty Crocker
kitchens and were presented with a "goody
bag" of cake andfirosting mixes—a real
problem for travelers to pack away.
There were excellent social programs
each night. The Ifetals Division sponsored
a theatre evening for the S.L.A. Scholar-
ship Fund. This was a production of AS
YOU LIKE IT by the Guthrie Theatre resi-
dent conpany. It was presented in a Civil
War setting in a very modern theatre in the
- 3 -
Tovnd,
Another evening a Book -Author dinner
was sponsored by the Publishing Division
and two other divisions. Howard Haycraft
of H. W, Wilson Conpany presided and
Walter N. Trenerry, author of MHRDHl IN
MINNESOTA and president of the Minnesota
Historical Society was the speaker. His
hilarious discourse on Minnesota's mur-
derous past, followed by a give and take
with the audience on mystery stories, was
genuine fun for all guests attending.
The annual banquet on Wednesday night
was a smorgasbord in deference to the
Scandinavian background of Minneapolis.
Entertainment was furnished by the Golden
Strings and the Montivideo Barbershop
Quartet,
About 1300 members from the United
States, Canada and other countries, at-
tended the convention. The theme of
communication was well presented by stim-
ulating speakers and thoxight provoking
programs. The I966 convention is over
but off to New York in '67.
GRACE M, MARVIN
XI S. A. L. A. L. M,
The ELEVENTH SEMINAR ON THE ACQUISITICN£
OF UTIN AMERICAN LIBRARY MATERIALS met
at Columbia University on July 7-9th,
About one hundred people were in attend-
ence, Mr, McNiff and Steve Miller repre-
sented the Boston Public Library,
Nine working papers were given to the
participants. Among these were a progrea;3ij.;Line strike). Spirits seem to be run-
report on the Seminars, a report on sig-
nificant acquisitions in the field of
Latin America by U,S, libraries, a r^ort
of bibliographic activities with a selec-
ted list, and a survey and proposal con-
cerning problems related to bibliographi-
cal materials in support of Latin America
Area Studies,
Four general sessions were held and re-
ports were given relating to the activi-
ties of S,A.L.A,L.M. One of the problem
areas discussed was that of government
documents and the fact that no systematic
collecting is being done in the Latin
American countries in this area because
of the built-in problems, e.g., the
government agencies themselves will not
take the responsibility of sending every
means be taken to solve it, either through
the book dealers themselves, or by sending
someone to Latin Amerida to collect these
and other materials. While a roving rep-
resentative is a good idea, this would by
no means be a solution.
One of the highlights of the Seminar oc-
curred on, Friday afternoon when Senor
Carlos Victor Penna, Chief of Libraries of
U.N.E.S.C.O., arrived from Paris, After
listening for an hour or so about the pro-
blems of acqviisiting Latin American Materi-
al, Senor Penna gave a very inspiring talk
vAiich pointed out U.N.E.S.C.O. activities
and suggested that patience on our part
(as well as support) is one of the possible
solutions to a breakthirough.
The Seminar ended with resolutions made
to further the work ^ich has already been
done and to support any and all efforts on
behalf of getting materials out of Latin
America, training specialists to do all
manner of work involved with establishing
Latin American collections, and providing
more and better bibliographic data possib-
ly through to establishment or more bibli-
ographic centers,
A.L.A. ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Libraries and the enquiring mind was the
theme for the 85th annual conference of
the American Library Association \0iich was
held in New York City July IO-I6.
Some six or seven librarians gathered at
the Americana and New York Hilton Hotels
to witness the proceedings (in spite of an
document th^ publish outside the country, ^j^tgl^Lg^t^g^L endeavor. New officers for
The Seminar made a proposal that this
ning high as the A.L.A, members attended
meetings, viewed dealer and publishers
exhibits and attended social gatherings
sponsored by various publishers.
The exhibits were most attractive this
jnear and the representatives seemed very
enthusiastic about selling their wares and
putting your name on their lists. An
alert librarian could pick up, or should I
say gather, such things as dealer and pub-
lisher catalogs, prints, brochures, pamph-
lets, ball point pens, paperbacks, and hard
bound copies in a few cases. Shopping bags
were provided in some of the booths and
coffee or punch was also to be had,
Sunday saw the initiation of new members
to Beta Phi Ma with a charge to further
the profession of librarianship through
the coming year were presented and a recep-
problem and others be studied further and ^lon for new members was held.
^k "
Sunday evening Robert Vosper presided
over the 1st General Session. Gordan N,
Ray, President of the Guggenheim Founda-
tion spoke on "The Future of the Book".
A reception was held afterwai\is at Lincoln
Center.
On Monday afternoon, Frank N. Jones
spoke to a SCRT meeting on "What to call
the boss." Mr. Jones' conclusion was that
it was dependent upon one's situation.
The University Libraries section of ACRL
held their meeting on Monday night. It
was concerned with Section II of the
Higher Education Act of I966, William S,
Dix led off the program by giving a con-
cise history of centralized cataloging
emphasizing the attenpts which have been
made in the past 80-90 years.
Library of Congress, told about the Li-
brary of Congress •
cataloging material under title II. He
Conferences are a good idea. There is
much to learn on all aspects of librarian-
ship from other people as well as through
meetings. The exhibits were a delight.
We came home esdiausted, but it was all
well worthwhile.
STEVE MILLER
First General Session - July 10, I966
New York Hilton— Grand Ballroom
Speaker: Gordon N. Ray, President, John
Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New
York.
Topic: THE FUTURE OF THE BOOK
Gordon Ray, keynote speaker for the 85th
convention of A.L.A. gently reminded li-
John Cronir^brarians that they should be bookmen first j
information specialists, retrevialists
plans for acquiring an(^ etc., second. Ray has little patience with
those TiAio allow library "hardware" to re-
made clear that L.C. must get the catalog-! place the book form, as the area of pri-
ing done in minimum time if the program
is to succeed. Dr. James Skipper then
told of the implications of this program
and centralized cataloging for the future
and expressed the view that while great
things are happening let's not allow our
expectations to get carried away.
The Presidents program was held on Tues-
day night. The theme was library Cooper-
ation for Reference and Research. Dr. E.
B. Nyquist gave a humor-filled talk about
the programs for library development in
new York. James R. Hunt, state librarian
of Hawaii, amazed most of us, or should I
say made most of us ashamed, of the tre-
mendous steps being made in library coop-
eration in his state. All I can say is,
it was incredible, Mss Mary Gaver, in-
coming president of A.L.A. , then told of
cooperation in New Jersey and of library
siirveys made in that state. Dr. Kenneth
Beasley analyzed the political and social
factors involved in library cooperation.
Wednesday a group of us BPL'ers went
on a tour of another BPL, this one being
in Brooklyn. We tovired one of the build-
ings, which happened to contain the busi-
ness branch, were told of their regional
set up, showed one of their sidewalk vanSj
and were served champagne with .
hor d'ouevres — fond memories of Brooklyn I
Wednesday night saw the library school
luncheons. After this activity I deferrec
to Margot Timson and Margaret Thrasher,
who will recount Thursday and Friday
events elsewhere in the Q.M.
mary concern for librarians. No scholar
would ignore the future value of a micro-
print, a photo-copy interlibrary loan, but
Dr, Ray feels a librarian must convince
the scholar of his interest in, and must
have subject knowledge of library re-
sources,
Ray, a Victorian scholar, offered a
thoughtful lecture, liberally sprinkled
with appropriate quotations from Dickens,
Macaulay and Thomas Carlyle whose HERO AS
MAN OF LETTERS was offered as proper study
for librarians,
"All that mankind has done, thought,
gained or beenj it is lying as in magic
preservation in the pages of books,"
ON HEROES, HERO-WORSHIP, AND THE HEROIC IN
HISTORY.
Wednesday, July 13 » 1966. Americana
Tppic: THE LITERATE UNREACHED: PAPERBACK
READERS AND LIHIARIES
Book sellers, book distributors, and
paperback book publishers, held forth on
the paperboimd book phenomena. The most
thoughtful statements were made in an
attempt to explain why so many "literates"
turn from the library, and its traditionally
hardbound book collection, to the paper-
back,
1. Some readers would siirply rather
buy than borrow.
2, Many paperback fans purchase cheap
editions as a supplement to library
materials, as a source of information
the library has not provided, or as
- 5 "
the most direct avenue to the "way
out" and "really in" materials,
3» The relative accessibility and
timeliness of paperbound materials
are felt to be iirportant market
factors. The 72 ho\ir publishing
(ffeat which made the WARREN COMMISii
SION REPCRT readily available
throughout the world was sighted as
an example. How many libraries were
able to match that record?
ii. Format and attractiveness were
thought to influence the mass mar-
ket, although small print, unsatis-
factory illustrations etc. were ad-
mitted to be drawbacks,
5, Destructability was a factor viiich
one book distributor sighted in fa^^or
of the paperback book, "TfJhy not mark
it up," he said, A collective shud-
der passed throoigh the audience,
6, Several hinted that the paper-
back library had replaced the hard-
bound collection as the intellectual
status symbol,
Ifeny of these points were offered as
ample reason to add paperbound books to
library collections. As one bookseller
and librarian put it~"Librarians are too
cautious. Our slogan should be more avanii
and less guardi "
MARGARET THRASffiE
A CERTAIN "WOOLLINESS"
The 85th annual A.L.A, Convention seem-
ed to point up the schisms which continue
to exist iri-thin the library community.
Programs often led to confrontations?
boo':;i;en versus automation experts j re-
search or university libraries versus pub- the "Fair Use in Photocopying" statenient
lie or school libraries; cooperative li-
brary systems versus small community li-
braries.
The unspoken conclusions which often
prompted committee recomendations were of
much interest to this observer,
1, The assxunption that ANY automated
concept was superior to traditional
methods,
2, The acceptance of library cooper-
ation—between all types of libraries —
as a desirable, beneficial and in-
evitable event,
3, The belief that library systems —
particularly in the area of public li-
brary service— offered the most adequate
means to meet increasing patron demand,
Ii, The willingness to expand library
programs with federal funds. Funds
vdiich many considered to be unlimited.
If these unspoken conclusions were, in
fact, the views which subtly influenced de-
bate; they must be openly discussed among
libraidans. Open discussion is the only
way to avoid what Eric Partridge is fond
of calling "woolliness" i.e, "Aiift)iguity
which springs from vague and muddled
thinking,,, ambiguity on a large scale,"
MARGARET THRASHER
"PHOTOCOPYING AS AN INTERLIERARY
LOAN SUBSTITUTE: FREEDOM OR STANDARDS?"
The Interlibrary Loan Committee of the
Reference Services Division of A,L.A,
realizing the great boon in providing
photocopies to relieve the burden of a li-
brary's supplying materials proposes to
change the general ILL code— Photographic
Substitution, The proposed rules are the
following in abbreviated form,
1, Requests indicate whether a photo-
copy is adequate as a substitute for
non-circulating material,
2, Libraries should quote the maximum
price they are Tailing to pay without
further authorization,
3, Submit on the ILL form or the
Photoduplication order form,
it. Requests indicating photocopying
substitutes will be considered bona fide
orders for copying.
The library should be as generous as pos-
sible when the cost of photocopying is too
much and lend material. Also the price of
copying should be kept at a miniTTum and
should be followed. Perhaps also some
system of coupons might be established
whereby the order may be filled without
reverting back to the requesting library
and the scholar.
The problem with the whole meeting was
that the lihairman, Mr, Reynolds from Indi-
ana, was a university man and his ILL re-
quests were far different, more scholarly,
and more limited than those of a public
library. It was obvious that ILL pro-
cedvires vary widely among libraries, and
Mr, Reynolds seem to think that poor prac-
tices could be changed overnight* Pro-
cedures should be ironed out before the
ILL code becomes more confused with a
- 6
photocopying statement,
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION SECTION
"Library Manpower "
Mr, St, John of Library Consultant Inc.
sxunined up in ten minutes in a most
emphatic voice the future of the librariarj.
The future d^ends on:
1. The Demand of the Citizens for
better service.
2, The extreme weakness of the present
pattern.
No longer can the extremely small library
stand alone unless there is a broad tax
base supporting it. The interloan system
is not working: time, the crucial factor ^
is far too long before receival of re-
quested material. There must be an amal-
gamation of all libraries of all kinds
in order to make full use of technology.
Too much money is being spent on what is
called the "soothing". University li-
braries, by in large, have the better
back-\jp "good" collections and they must
transmit the material to as many >Aio need
it. High level cataloguers must operate
from one (or several) centers and cata-
logue for all libraries. Systems of li-
braries must concentrate specialists in
centers to make full use of them.
Public money (federal, state, and local]
mo.st be accounted for and viien it is so
1( T>
it will be evident that there is a
tr . iriendous waste through duplication and
iTii 3use of trained personnel. We cannot
think in terms of the pattern which we
now have as it will totally change in the
next five to ten years.
Russell Schank had opened the meeting
stressing the fact that we are a profes-
sional association rather than a society.
Amusingly enough some are worried about
blocked communication within A.L.A, We
must also push for a rational ethic. We
must disassociate the intellectual from
the non-intellectual.
Miss Bundy from the University of Mary-
land described the three year manpower
studies being undertaken at U. of Md, with
a grant from the U, S. Dept, of Labor,
This study will cover such areas of the
library profession as: inform, to
management and the government, data on
fringe benefits, administration info,
needs, mobility and success at the job
satisfaction, library education, and
staff development programs,
PERSONNEL NOTES
New Employees :
William Fletcher— Open Shelf (part time)
Gale E. Eckerson— Codman Square
Jean M, Hughes— West Roxbury
Dora M, DiMascio— Bookmobiles
Mary Jane O'Connor — Mattapan
Edith L, Hathaway—Bookmobiles
Bertha L, Dabney — Dodman Square
Janet McH^jgh— Connolly (former part time)
Military Leave :
Brendan Craven— Central Charging Records
Richard Cronin — Inter-library Loan Office
Transferred t
Miriam Shuman—Connolly to Egleston Square
Joseph G. Brady— Book Stack Service to
Central Charging Records,
Ann B, 'Neil— Codman Square to South End.
Elise Rousseve — Dfettapan to Brighton,
Michael Carey — Book Stack Service to Cata-
loging and Classification,
Robert Griffin— Book Stack Service to Cat?
loging and Classification i
Carolyn Poole — ^Roslindale to Orient Height
Robert Brown— Book Stack Service to Cen-
tral Charging Records,
Retired ; Julia F, IfcDonough— Binding Dept,
Married : Sheila Swalnick, of Central
Charging Records, to Michael Mllstone,
July h, 1966,
Transferred with a Change of Status :
Mark Alpert from Parker Hill to Memorial-
Mt. Pleasant as a Pre-professional.
Terminations :
Jerome F. Sullivan— Science and Technol-
ogy, another position,
Alvis H. Price — Memorial-Mt, Pleasant,
accept position as Director at ^hirviff
Christian College, Hawkins, Texas
Sydney Starr — Fine Arts, accept position
at Pratt Institute,
Julia S, Breveleri — Book Selection, to
woric at State Street Bank,
E, Brickley Stenberg— Exhibits Office,
another position out of state,
Monica Dixon— Egleston Square, to attend
college.
MarypK»!-Walsh — Lower Mills, to stay home
Barry Jacobson— Book Stack Service, an-
- 7 -
other position
William W, Moreland~Open Shelf, resign-
ed,
Anne Bromer— Mt. Pleasant-Memorial, moves
to California,
" Warren Harrington —South Boston, to be-
come Branch Librarian at Framingham
Public Library,
CONFERENCE ON RECRUITMENT
On Friday and Saturday preceding the
A.L.A. Conference,r'a Recruitment Confer-
ence sponsored by the Drexel Graduate
School of Library Science was held in
Philadelphia. Approximately $0 regis-
trants from 19 states as far west as Cali-
fornia, as far south as Texas, as far
north as M5.nnesota, and as far east as
Massachusetts, actively participated in
the conference *4iich was designed to as-
sist all librarians in meeting personnel
shortages. Under the direction of Donald
H, Hunt, one of the Two Library Career
Consultants for the state of Pennsylvania
and a member of the Drexel faculty, the
Conference took the form of a workshop
and concentrated on methods for reaching
major sources of potential manpower—stu-
dents, returnees to the labor market
(former Peace Corps members and Vista vol-
unteers, ex-servicemen, etc/), individuate
seeking a second or third career. It was
emphasized time and again that recruit-
ment is not a job interview but rather it
is a stimulation to meet individuals and
to talk with them about work in a given
field.
Following a welcome by Dean John Harvey
of the Drexel library school, the keypote
speaker. Dr. Joseph F, Kaufman, Dean of
Students, University of Wisconsin, spoke
on the theme "The Student Climate Today"
and urged recruiters to "tune in" on to-
day's students— to note the changes f^^Sis
place in colleges and in students — to
recognize that youth culttire is our most
commercially exploited commodity— to rea-
lize that young people are anxious to be
of service and to lead meaningful lives.
The Civil Rights movement has had a tre-
mendous effect on youth j they can synpa-
thize with the disenfranchised, especiallj
because of their own experiences in disc-
ipline. He described the restlessness of
students and the experiences on his own
campus of sit-in demonstrations this past
spring because of the military draft.
The next two speakers, Emily Chervenik,
Coordinator, Placement Service, University
of Wisconsin, "Updating Recruiting Attitudes
and Approaches," and Gerald Robinson,
Vice-Dean of Admissions, University of
Pennsylvania, "Building aniBffective
Recruiting Program at the High School
Level," spoke frankly and freely of the
need to get the library story across, to
make the public realize that librarians
are as important as libraries, to start
early in making young people realize what
a librarian's job is, to realize the need
for excellence in recruiting publications,
to work with college placement officers
and high school guidance counselors and
to keep them informed on library plans and
programs, to be enthusiastic about the
library profession, to look into financial
aid and federal assistance programs for
library school scholarships.
The fourth speaker, Mrs. Marjorie E.
Duckrey, Chief of Program Planning, Hiila-
delphia Anti-Poverty Action Committee,
called attention to the "Upwardly Mobile,'*
the disenfranchised members of society to
vtiom the library profession has appealed
so much so that it is the equal of the
teaching and the ministry professions,
once the most admired and respected
careers. She described the anti-poverty
program in Philadelphia and the efforts
of her staff to counsel and give guidance
to those being reached and to suggest and
arrange for training for new careers.
At the luncheon meeting, Anne Cronin,
Director, Seven Colleges Vocational Work-
shop, spoke of the opportunities for
"Second Careers" and how she and her staff
afforded gviidance to women whose families
were grown and who were desirous of re-
turning to the labor market, preferably
in a new career. Many of them were inter-
ested in library careers, but many were
not accepted in library schools, partly
because of age and partly because of
undergraduate grades. She felt the need
for libraries to re-examine their position
classifications to see if a new classi-
fication for mature college graduates
id-thout library school training m|:feht be
introduced. She was also of the opinion
that library schools should look at mature
applicants in a different light from re-
cent college graduates, weighing their
maturity and experience more heavily than
their undergraduate records,
Virginia Mathews, Deputy Director of
•• 8 »•
National Library Week, was the very able
moderator of a work session devoted to
"Designing State-Wide, Long-Range Re-
cruiting Programs," The registrants were
divided into groups of 8 to 10 persons
from similar libraries or from like geo-
graphic areas of the country and were
given 1^ hours to develop a state-wide re-
cruiting program. The 7 different plans
viiich came from the groups were discussed
by a panel consisting of personnel officers
librarians, educatorsllater that evening
and were presented to the entire Confer-
ence the next morning. Group participa-
tion and discussion among panel members
brought out the following proposal as a
goal to be reached: At least one full-
time recruiter in each state sponsored by
the state library or state libraiy agency
and advised by a committee selected by
the state library association or one made
up of librarians, administrators, educa-
tors, business leaders, college placement
officers, guidance counselors, etc. This
recruiter should be well-informed on the
library profession as a whole and on the
librarian's job in particular; he should
be an out-going person and an excellent
public speaker; he shoxild be responsible
for looking into the possibilities of fi-
nancing recruiting programs and providing
scholarships through Federal and/or state
funds, through foundations, through state
and regional library associations; he
should use recruiting pamphlets, exhibits,
films, and other media from all available
sources and assist in the preparation of
new recruiting materials; he should work
closely with the advisory committee as
well as with librarians, placement offi-
cers, guidance counselors, educators,
state and other enployment agencies; in
short, he should plan a well-organized
recruiting program and execute it in
phases.
The closing speaker following luncheon
on Saturday was Myrl Ricking, Director,
Office for Recruitment, American Library
Association, who summed up recruiting
accoitplishments at the local level up
through the national level and inspired
each of the registrants, who had been wel]
aware of the recroiiting methods but who
had gained much more knowledge at this
Conference, to continue their efforts in
reaching and interesting all possible
soxirces of manpower.
CATHERINE MACDONALD
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 196^
A number of speakers concentrated upon
the importance of knowing what federal
funds are available for research, library
education, technical services, and the
like. Certain titles within l^e act as
well as titles from other related acts
offer to libraries money that shoiild be
taken advantage of.
A greater centralization of cataloging
processes, specialists, and bibliographers
are implications for research. Perhaps
fuller cataloging will have to be fore-
gone but with more control over the book
stock and information material by other
methods the reference librarian should
have new confidence in meeting the needs
of scholarship. Acquisitions must be
centralized. And once again in relation
to cataloging library subject classifica-
tion is inadequate to meet needs and must
be inproved.
In technical services the inplications
of the act (Part c, title 11) again stress
centralized cataloging and centralized
acquisitions, A renewed emphasis must
be placed on foreign material. Libraries
will be forced toward standardization be-
cause of centralized cataloging* The
locally tailored catalog is a luxury,
Maurice Tauber spoke of iirplications
for library education, l^ney will come
to library schools on a small grant basis,
a program supported basis, and for re-
search and development programs. Short-
ages in librarianship are irost felt in
cataloging. New library schools must be
developed and staffed with teaching per-
sonnel. Funds must be obtained to im-
prove teaching. There is money available
for projects to be carried on in connections
with library schools. The problem is
that there is no space within the schools
to house the projects. The non-accredited
schools must be encouraged to achieve
accreditation, (Perhaps they should re-
ceive a little of this money too to help
upgrade themselves but they are ineligible
because of non-accreditation. Maybe that
should be overlooked when considering
small grants but this is only this author's
viewpoint ) •
The ijiplications then of the act may be
summed up in two words: CENTRALIZATION
and MONEY,
_r» 9 "
Any contribution to the Soap Box must be
accompanied by the full name of the Asso-
ciation member submitting it, together
with the name of the Branch Library, De-
partment, or Office in which he or ^e is
erployed. The name is withheld from pub-
lication, or a pen name is used, if the
contributor so requests. Anonymous con-
tributions are not given consideration.
The author of the article is known only to
the Editorf*in-Chief . The contents of the
articles appearing in the Soap Box are
personal opinions expressed by individual
Association members and their appearance
does not necessarily indicate that the
Publications Committee and the Association
are in agreement with the views expressed.
Only those contributions not containing
more than 300 words will be accepted.
To the Soap Box:
At the American Library Association very
few preprofessionals or recent library
school graduates were present, Mary Gave^
the new president of A,L,A,, indicated in
her inaugural address that A.L.A. must
try to attract more young people by stress
ing membership in A.L.A, and perhaps
junior membership in some of the activity
sessions hereby actual participation in
closed meetings and behind-the-scenes work
could take place.
Can the B.P.L. do something about this?
Perhaps a token of financial assistance
could go to a preprofessional or recent
graduate for attendance at a convention.
If is good that Bvery monber of the li-
brary staff see and hear about other li-
brary systems other than the B.P.L. Con-
servatism might not be so prevalent here,
MARGOT TIieON
To the Editor:
In the coijtrse of conversation of the
last several weeks, three people mentioned
to me that the aditdnistration was trying
to "control the Q.M." in order not to
have grim but tnae details in print mar
the supposedly "rose colored" atmosphere
here. What's the scoop??
INQUISITIVE
Editor's Note ;
The Editor, the Publications Committee,
and the B.P.L.S.A, itself controls the
content of the Q.M. through the Constitu-
tion of the B.P.L.S.A. and the section
which pertains to the Q.M. Don't forget,
there is a difference between "objecting"
and "censoring."
* * * * *
"There is an ancient Chinese curse, re-
served for dire condemnation, which says,
•May you live in an age of transition. ' "
Moderator , March, 1966. p. 52.
*■«■**■«•
I
I
m
uestion
MA^
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
SEPTEMBER 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Volume XXI, Number 8 September, 1966
Publications Committee:
Harry Andrews j James Ford; Evelyn Isaacs j Angelo
Mammanoj Mildred R, Somes, Artist; Margot Timsoni
Sarah M. Usher, Indexer; Kathleen Wardj Stephen R,
MiUei", Chairman,
Publication Date:
The fifteenth of each month
Deadline for submitting material:
The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library service.
EDITORIAL NOTES
There are two questions which the MiBm-
bers of the Staff seem to be asking over
and over:
1, Are salary increases coining, and,
"if so, when?
2« Are we going to get heat relief
corqDensation as we did last year?
The Publications Committee f6'els that
these are two questions that must be
dealt with in the very near future. We
know that those who are making the de-
cisions are well aware of Staff anticipa-
tion. We feel assured that affirmative
action will be taken soon.
And now, farewell!
STEPHEN R, MILLER
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
A meeting of the Executive Board was
held on Monday, September 12,
The question of salary increses was in-
troduced and discussed. The Board was
confident that the Trustees would act upon
salaries at their September fourteenth
meeting and that a satisfactory result
would be forthcoming.
The Concession has been the subject of
coiiiment from Members of the Staff, The
Concession Committee has been instructed
to meet with the Concessionaire and to
try to improve conditions.
Our vice-president, Warren Harrington,
has left the service of the Library,
Stephen R. Miller, Editor of Publication,
leaves the Library on September 30, It is
the duty of the Executive Board to fill
these two vacancies. Any Member of the
Association who desires to be considered
for either, should communicate xjith the
President*
LOUIS POLISHOOK
- 2 -
ra:RS(^mEL notes
New Employees ;
Susan Bradley— *Codman Square
Vailiam P, Murphy— Cataloging and
Classification R, and R^S,
Judith H, Thompson-- Loxiier Mills
Carolyn Mclver— Parker Hill
Transfers ;
Gladys L, McDonnell — from Brighton to
Allston
Margaret Lewis—from South End to Orient
Heights
Mrs, Anna Bracks tt — from South End to
Faneuil
Helen Nicholas — from Faneuil to South
End
Ann B, 'Neil— from South End to Divi-
sion Office, H.R. and C.S.
Mrs, Selma Horwitz — from Codman Square
to Roslindale
Mrs, Helen A. Goldenberg— from Division
Office, H.R, and C.S, to Mattapan
Military Leave ;
Robert Hartley— Central Charging Records
entered the U,S, Army for three years
Terminations :
John McManus — ^Book Stack Service, to
travel,
Margaret Thrasher — General Reference,
another position,
James McNiff— Book Stack Service, to
teach school,
Margaret McCusker— Parker Hill, to
teach school,
NOIES FROM COPLEY SQUARE
Congratulations to M, Jane I^Ianthome,
recently elected to the ilational Council
of .i.LJt.
■a- ^ % a- *
On July 2S, Philip J, McNiff gave an
infoiTnal talk at a meeting of the Newton
Rotary at the Brae Bum Country Club.
His topic was The Development of Library
Services in the 1960»3 .
•5i- -M- ■«• ^t *
John M. Carroll has an excellent re-
view of Nancy Surkis' new pictorial book
entitled BOSTON, on page 39li3 of the
September 1st issue of LIBRARY JOURNAL.
Be sure and see it.
Don't miss the article on librarianship
taken from the NATIONAL REVIEW which can
be found on the bulletin board outside the
Personnel Office, More ammunition for
those who preach that the image of li-
brarians is changing,
•«• -M- * ■«• -St
Mr, McNiff was a speaker at the Second
Annual Archival Symposium held at Boston
College in May, His subject was Building
Collections around unified subject areas
or themes.
BOUQDETS
To's Philip J. McNiff
From: Harry White
The Central Public Library
Stourbridge
Worcestershire County^ England
I write to thank you n^st sincerely for
the welcome and all the kind assistance
given to me and the party of librarians
who visited your library in Boston last
week. We were made to feel welcome from
our first hour in Boston, and thoroughly
enjoyed every minute of o\ir stay.
As you know, some of us had the oppor-
tunity to visit two of your branch li-
braries after spending the morning in the
main library, Wfe saw the North End Branch,
and the South Boston Branch, and in both
places were able to have some conversation
with the librarians, which we very much
enjoyed. Both branches are pleasant and
lively, but we were all struck by the
particular charm of the North End one,
I was amazed to laam that it was possible
to have a pool in a library without some
small boy falling into it, I woioldn't
mind betting that the Librarian has a few
spare items of children's clothing in her
office — just in case,
I am writing this in my office, with
traffic noises drifting in from the street
outside, and I think a little enviously '
of the peace and quiet of your courtyard,
and more than a little enviously of the
space and beauty of your building.
With all good wishes to you and the
many members of your staff who befriended
us, and my best thanks.
•3«- * -5c -5?- *
-3 -
To: John M, Carroll
From; Herbert (joldhor, Managing Editor
Graduate School of Library Science
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
May I take this opportxinity to convey
our appreciation for your contribution
to the current issue of Library Trends
devoted to "Current Trends in Branch Li-
braries," I think that the issue is a
good one and should be a useful addition
to the literature of the profession, I
regret the delay in its appearance, which
xjas caused by staff changes in the editor-
ial office.
Library Trends presently goes to every
major library and library school in the
world. Every state in the Union and more
than forty foreign countries are repre-
sented on our subscription list, which
is unusually large for a journal of this
type. You can see that your work will
have widespread distribution and influ-
ence. The personal generosity and pro-
fessional interest in librarianship of
those who contribute to the journal have
helped materially in its becoming one of
international interest and significance.
We shall welcome any suggestions you
may have in the future of possible topics
for issues of Library Trends or manu-
scripts for our Occasional Papers series
or other publications of the University
of Illinois Graduate School of Library
Science,
*
To: John Alden
F^om; C, Duncan Rice
Department of History
University of Aberdeen
King's College, Old Aberdeen
Since my plans for doing a final cot5)le
of days work in Boston were frustrated by
the general confusion of my departure, I
never had an opportvinity to thank you for
an your services to me during my jrear at
Harvard,
I like to think of n^elf as having
worked in a large number of research li-
braries for someone of my tender age, but
I have never had so much courtesy and
general help as I had in the work I did
in your Department, I have to thank you
yourself for a great deal of this, but I
would also be grateful to you if you
co\ild let your staff know just how much I
habe appreciated their services, I think
you will be an extremely fortunate curator
of rare books if you manage to keep yovx
present personnel for the rest of your
career,
I will be lecturing American History
here for the next three years, after ^^rhich
I expect to return to Harvard, I look
forward to seeing you all again then.
To: Mss Alice E, Hackett
From: Laura C, Colvin, Professor of
Library Science
Simmons College
Boston, Massachusetts
The students in the elective course.
Technical Services, join me in expressing
our appreciation to you for the fine field
trip we had visiting the various techni-
cal service areas of the Boston Public
Library on Iffednesday, 20 July 1966, The
students have commented very favorably
on the tour but particularly on yotir talk
about the reorganization in cataloging
and classification and about the new de-
velopments in catalog card reproductiono
They liked being able to ask questions
informally in your office and your sharing
your experiences with them.
You have certainly accomplished a great
deal in a brief time. May good success
continue to attend all your ideas and
efforts, Ity best wishes come to you,
and thank you again for giving us time
from yotir busy schedule.
To: Mrs, Ruth Bleecker
From: D, C« Parker
Edinburgh 3, Scotland
I have received your kind letter of
August 12 and send you my thanks for it,
I have read with interest what you say.
And I want you to know how much I apprci-
ate the trouble taken in connection with
my enquiry. Had there been anything re-
corded locally about Alice Esty it would,
of course, have emerged as a result of
the splendid search which was made. Will
you be good enough to tell Mr. John Bundy
that I qtiite realise the extent of his
hunt for any reference to the singer in
questioh,
I am pleased to have been in touch, how-
■• Ij. a»
ever, modestly with so famous a Library,
Ify thanks again for your trouble and in-
terest and with best wishes, '
WHICH ONE SHAXL I REPAIR FIRST?
I was passing through Stack $ the other
day and I stopped to talk with Mrs, Anna
Scanlan, Anna is an LA 3 responsible for
the supervision of the group of young
people of the "ABCD Program" presently re4"Studio tour" through southern Connecticut
pairing books for the library. She was
busily taking first one book then another
off the shelf and trying to decide which
one shotild be repairdd.
She was quite concerned that the books
were in such terrible condition but I
tried to make her feel somewhat better by
explaining that as far as Documents were
concerned, some members of the public ex-
pected (seldom disappointed) that the
books wotild be old, badly worn and dusty.
Dust is the unmistakable proof of authen-
ticity, I find it quite amusing to dust
the book in the presence of the person
and watch for the smile which assures roe
that this is the book they have waited
for so long. Soon into their hands shall
pass an original bookl
CHILDRENtS SERVICE DIVISION
For most of the attending librarians,
the A,L»A. Conference ended with the
Inaugural Banquet on Friday evening, and
Saturday was a day of general exodus.
For a few, hovrever, Saturday offfered a
post-conference program, one of the roost
enjoyable events scheduled for the
Children's Services Division, This was a
to meet authors and illustrators of
children's books. The tour was sponsored
by Morton Shindel of the Weston Woods film
studios, with arrangements made by Seth
Agnew of Doubleday, ^o is President of
the Children's Book Council.
Those fortunate enough to obtain the
scarcer-then-hen 's-teeth tickets left at
nine o'clock, by air-conditioned bus, and
made our first stop at Vfestport, There we
made a quick tour of the attractive town
library and picked up Eleanor Street,
Mrs, Elisabeth Mott and Mrs, Louise Wilcox,
the librarian, children's librarian and
children's assistant. We then proceeded
to "Rabbit Hill," for many years the home
and studio of Robert and Marie Lawson,
For those outside the children's field who
Since the books are shelved by the stafjpnay not recognize the magic of the Lawson
and only used by the public, we cannot
share in the pleasure of a dirty, old,
worn-out and dusty book, Tou who read
this, can, at this moment, go to any stack
area and find Just such a book. You
won't have to look hard, ±& fact you wont
have to look at all. There it is sitting
on the shelf. It would make a true li-
brarian weep.
When the repairing of a book is reduced
to which ohe is worse then some official
action should be taken. Perhaps a de-
partnKnt or part of an existing depart-
ment could be utilized for this purpose,
A canvass of the library might turn up
interested people with an aptitude for
repairing. Interest is sadly lacking in
this line of work. Aptitude abounds i
Unless you have an interest as well as an
aptitude for any work, then that work
suffers. This ingredient, so much a part
of a really healthy attitude, is lacking
in the world, I'd like to see it come
Nowl Here!
back. Today I
JOSEPH HARPER
Government Document Dept,
name, I should explain that Robert Lawson
created the illustrations for Munro Leaf's
famous flower-loving Ferdinand, received
the Caldecott Medal in 19U0 for They were
Strong and Good , and the Newbery Award in
19hh for Rabbit Hill , After Mr, Lawson «s
death, the estate was purchased by Doctor
and Mrs, Donald Shafer, who graciously
opened their home for our visit. In what
had been the Lawsons' studio, much of their
original work had been arranged for dis-
play by Mrs, Stuart Otto, to whom it had
been bequeathed. The rabbit motif is yet
much in evidence, indoors and out and,
as one strolls through the grounds, one
can also catch glinpses, among the bushes
and shrubs, of other small creatures ~a
turtle sunning on a stone, a woodchuck,
a field mouse, and the good Saint Francis
watching protectively over them. We de-
parted with due caution down the driveway
^ich still bears the sign, "Please Drive
Carefully because of small animals,"
Our next stop was in Weston, at the Wes-
ton Woods Studios, where Mr, Shindel pro-
duces his distinctive films of children's
picture books. The house looks as though
it might have come straight out of a Grimm
Brothers' fairy tale and, indoors, presents
-5 -
the saire air of informality. We were con-
ducted through the studios in small groips
by staff members who showed us where and
how the films and sovind tracks are made.
Mr. Shindel uses an "iconographic" tech-
nique, in which the original illustra-
tions are photographed directly from the
book, the apparent mobility coming from
the movement of the camera, synchronized
with the pace and timing of the narrator.
One of the attractions on the grounds is
the Ulysses Diner, the setting for what
is, I believe, the only "live" film
the studio has made, which was the hilari-
ous doughnuts episode from Robert McClos-
key«s Home r Price . This enterprise in-
volved IcoaLing a thirty-year-old dough-
nut -makitig, machine, turning out 12,600
doughnuts c.nd subsequently getting rid of
them, which irjas an even greater problem,
YOU try disposing of 12,000 doughnuts.
Mr, Shind^'l's latest project is his
Children'^ Caravans, converted buses uEled
as traveling theaters and art galleries.
The United States Government is now using
the Caravans in connection with the anti-
poverty program in depressed areas in the
deep South and Appalachia. Mr. Shindel
and his staff also served us a lav.-.sh
buffet luncheon, which we ate at small
tables on the porches or around the swim-
ming pool, A happy adjunct to the lunch-
eon was the pleasant conversations x-rith
a goodly company of a score of authors
end illustrators, from newcomers in the
field to such longstanding friends as
Berta and Elmer Hader,
As if all this were not enough to ab-
sorb in one day, we had another treat in
store at Lia Farm in Wilton, the hon^ of
Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire, We were greet-
ed by the hosts and their "children," Ola
Eric and Ola's wife, who came as a bit of
a shock to those of us who, for years,
have pictured Ola as still the lovable
towhead of one of his parents' early pic-
ture books. The d'Aulaire 's art medium
is lithography, and Mr. d'Aulaire ex-
plained and demonstrated the techniques
of preparing the special, one hundred and
fifty pound stones, and making their il-
lustrations on them. (If you do not know
what a lithographer's stone looks like,
you can get an idea of the size, shape
and thickness from the one in the press
in the Wiggin Gallery.) The d'Aulaires'
early work was predominantly ScaJidinavian
Sbi theme and tone, but many of their
later books have been picture biographies
of famous Americans, and their Abraham
Lincoln was awarded the Galdecott Medal in
1939, Mrs, d'Aulaire was kept busy answer-
ing visitors' questions, or explaining
the background and significance of the
countless pictures, handmade art objects,
rugs and furnishings scattered throughout
the house. On the back lawn, the "chil-
dren" were serving cookies and pxinch,
assisted by three active Siamese kittens.
As we were leaving, each of us was pre-
sented with an illustration from the
d'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myt^hs .
We arrived back in New York in the early
evening, pleasantly tired after a memor-
able day. Truly, the warm welcome we re-
ceived at Westport, Weston and Wilton was
a worthy wind-up of an enjoya.ble Conference
week,
VERONICA M. lEHANE
WH/>.T«S IN IT FOR ^E?????
One of my duties with the Government
Document Acquisition Section is the soli-
citation of Government publications. Two
weeks ago, I bep;an to solicit Urban Re-
newel information from cities thrpnghout
the United States, Today (August 31) I
received a package from North Las Vegas,
Nevada, first class mail with the penciled
notation "Rattle Ok." Alas, there was
only "Urban Rene we 1 Information" and the
only thing that rattled was the plastic-
ring binding. Ohl well, it might have
been,... ,
JOE HARPER
ALITWAE NOTES
Greetings to all my friends at the Bos-
ton Public Library. The familiar names
grow fewer through the years, but the
Soap Box still reflects the same general
atmosphere there. Reminds me of Unter-
meyer's Prayer:
"From compromise and things half
done
Keep me, with stem and stubborn
pride J
And when at last the fight is
won,
God keep me still unsatisfied,. •"
Perhaps these lines say it better:
(sazj© poem)
"From sleek contentment keep me
- 6 -
free.
And fill me with a buojrant doubt.
Open my ejres to visions girt
With beauty, and with wonder lit,
(I findat all in the Soap Box.)
(RECEIVED WITH A TWO-YEAR RENEWAL TO THE
QUESTION MARK, FROM MRS, JOSEPH R, ROSS)
BRANCH NOTES
Jxine 30th saw the simultaneous departure
from Memorial — Mt, Pleasant of Alvis
Price, brandh librarian, headed for Texas,
and Anne Bromer, adult librarian, off to
California, In appreciation of their
fine work and to bid them a fond fare we 13,
a luncheon was given at Mt, Pleasant to
which also were invited John M« Carroll
and Kathleen B, Hegarty of Central, Mil-
dred Kaufman of Mattapan, Nura Globus of
Egleston Square and Mary Hackett of
Parker Hill, Mr, Carroll presented Mr,
Price (Hoping perhaps to entice him back
in the future) with a lovely pictorial
volume of New England in the fo\ir seasons,
and Miss Hegarty delighted Anne with a
complete guidebook to San Francisco,
From the staff, Mr. Price received a U.S.
Savings Bond, and Mrs, Bromer, a leather
handbag. All in all, the luncheon and
the gifts were but small tokens of our
appreciation and our best wishes which
go with them for the future.
■5t -> -K- ■«■ ^i-
Grace Digange, fornier Children's Li-
brarian at Mattapan, was recently married
to John Charles McCloskey of Pittsburgh,
Pa,
READY, REFERENCE ?
By Wyat Helsabeck
Once upon a patron's query, while I pond-
ered weak and weary.
Cursing Shankle, Dewey, Ulrich, WincheH
Mudge, and all their kind.
Suddenly, the desk untended, four phones
ringing, drawers up-ended.
Half the town at onee descended on that
little world of mine,
GodS I thought— we » 11 earn our wages I
Frantically I rang for pages;
And at last in what seemed ages, what
I thought I'd never find
Turned up (God knows why!) in Shankle —
where nobody but a crank' 11
Look for what that dame called Con-
stance to some other source assigned.
Back to grab one phone I speeded— dizzy,
blind, but undefeated.
With just what this lady needed, then
with voice sweet, refined.
Quoth the patron, "Never mindl"
This displeased ne—I admit it. Picked a
pencil up and bxt it.
Felt my ten^Der rise, but hid it, smiled
and waxed polite once more.
Up there rushed a sweet old lady (bless
her, every day of eighty J)
"Toung man," said she, "something
shady, Where's that book I had be-
fore?"
"Who's the author? What's the title?"
This I knew was suicidall
Still — such trivia being vital in this
rat race, I implore I
"Don't expect me to remember, I reserved
it last September,
Someone in here should remember I That's
what librarians are fori
Find it I If you get contrary — ^I'll hit
you with this dictionaryl"
(Webster's third, the eighty potuid one,
was the one she headed fori)
"JamesI" I yelled; but she'd just wandered
somewhere over in three htmdred.
Then to fiction, where she plundered,
seeking recipes, she swore,
"Madam," said I, with conviction, "you
won't find cookbooks in fiction,"
Me and ngr big mouth— that section held
not one, but cookbooks four.
Quoth the patron, "Look — there's morel"
Back I slunk, my ego busted — irked, ex-
hausted, plumb disgusted,
"That damn Melvil can't be trusted!"
I was muttering as I flew.
Barely had I sneaked by Thomas, when some
foreign lad said, "Vamosl
Please to show me Nostradamus," That
had got in fiction, tool
Slowly, then, my poise returning, still
my lesson never learning.
Up there rushed a lady burning, with a
great big book in tow,
"Why don't annuals come out weekly?" "Beg
your pardon?" said I meekly,
"Get me something recent— que eklyl
Some folks have to work, you know,"
- 7 -
Wish I had a job this easyj you donit get
yoTir hands all greasy.
That young man in specs —who is he?
When does he work? You're too slow,"
That made me antagonistic, "Lady, let's
be realistic.
You're just one more damn statistics "
said I, crossing out a row.
Quoth she, "You know iiJhere to go I "
Next, a lady with a hat on, slammed a book
at what I sat on,
"What librarian dared put that on
shelves? I'd pitch it out the door-
It's plain nasty — just read through it! "
"Thank you, ma'am, I'll hop right to it.
Haven't had time yet to do it," (Better
order several more!)
Naturally the book she needed had been
lost or superseded —
So a loan fonn I completed, asking
questions by the score,
"Now — just tell us why you need it,"
"Such fool questions I Think I'H eat it?
All I want to do is read it J " said she,
stomping on the floor,
"How come Greek books in eight-eighty?'.'
'That's where Dewey put 'em lady,"
"Well — that man's a kook, already.
Move »em closer to the doorl "
Quoth I, "Where's my two-by-four?"
What's a googol? Who shot Hector? Vflierefe
the nearest lie detector?
Who was Lincoln's cousin's sister's
husband's nephew's only son?
Is that free out there a ginkgo? I don't
know, sir, I don't think so.
What makes all libraries stink so?
You're a strange one — where 's your bun?
Is a platypus a plant, sir? Spell hors
d'oeuvre — I bet you can't, sir.
Don't you ever know the answer? How'd
you get a job in here?
We're mixed up, young man; unsnare us.
Who stabbed Hamlet in the arras?
Watch your language, madam—spare us I
What you're asking's not quite clear,
"Sir, this paper's due on Friday," quoth
a teen-^ge Aphrodite,
"Tell iTB what it's on." "All rightey—
here's some notes I tried to take,
Oedipus in Oklahoma! Sir, my boy friend's
in a coma.
They won't give him his diploma till
it's read, for heaven's sake!"
Quoth my colleage, "Take a break,"
Off I went, my poor nerves tid.tG±iin' — had
a cola in the kitchen.
Then back down to put my hitch in (two
more hours, and home I go I)
"There's my teacher, that old geezer!"
said a beatnik, reading a Caesar,
"Guess I'll dig this stuff, to please 'er~
least, it's not that square Thoreaul "
"Hey, youi This ain't illustrated. It's
too long, too complicated!
Who reads stuff ain't even rated in the
best-seller list?"
"Well — there's other things worth reading,"
"Yeah — ^like what?"' (Our minds aren't
meeting!)
This kid needs a good stiff beating — not
a psychotherapist!
Night and day— there's no end to it, I
can't figure why we do it
Just ourselves to blame— we knew it,
when we crammed for that degree.
Quoth the patron, "C'est la vie! "
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARIES
COMING TV PROGRAI^ ON CHANNEL k
Bob EnBry, host of the BIG BROTHER'S
WORLD program, on Channel Ii, WBZ-TV, will
interview "Ed" Peltier, Chief of Audio-
Visual, and a representative of the Inter-
national Institute on September 2ii (the
time for the program is being changed, so
check your newspaper). The "blue" ribbon
award winners of the I966 American Film
Festival are tb'bfe the topic of their dis-
cussion. These films may be viewed, free
of charge, at the International Institute
on Friday, September 30, from 2-10 p,m,,
and on Saturday, October 1, from 10 a.9,
to 6 p,m,
Gerald L. Ball, Curator of the Engineer-
ing Sciences, will be Mr, Emery's guest
on October 15, Examples of reference
books will be shown to demonstrate the wide
range of materials in the Science and
Technology collection. He will discuss
the Library's awareness of the growing de-
mand for material which began many years
ago id.th some of the early purchases in
the field of nautical engineering (in 1857),
how the B.P.L, continues to meet the
present-day needs which are the result of
changing methods of teaching, and the in-
ter-disciplines of advanced scientific
research will be covered.
- » -
Any contribution to the Soap Box must
be accompanied by the full name of the
Association member submitting it, to-
gether with the name of the Branch Li-
brary, Department, or Office in which he
or she is employed. The name is withheld
from publication, or a pen name is uaed,
if the contributor so requests. Anony-
mous contributions are not given consider
ation. The author of the article is known
only to the Editor-in-Chief. The content^
of the articles appearing in the Soap Box]
are personal opinions expressed by indi- j
vidual Association members and their ap-
pearance does not necessarily indicate
that the Publications Committee and the
Association are in agreement with the
views expressed. Only those contribu-
tions not containing more than 300 words
will be accepted.
To the Editor:
Open Shelf and its staff are to be con-
gratulated on their fine new foreign
language collection, located in the de-
partment's Lower Level. Hundreds of
titles, both classic and recent, in Ger-
man, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portu-
guese, have been added in the last few
months.
It is to be hoped that efforts are be-
ing made to accquaint the public with the
existence of these books.
As a further development of this collec-
tion, I should like to see even so small
a section as two or three shelves given
over to no particular language, but to
good books in any of the approximately one
hundred ninty other written languages.
i|uch a polyglot section might include an
anthology of Chekov's stories in Russian,
several of Kazantzakis' novels in Greek,
perhaps one of Tagore's works in Bengali,
etc.
Whether or not these things are brought
about, this newly augmented five -language
collection is an accomplishment in which
the Open Shelf may justifiably feel §,
tinge of pride.
CHARUSS GOSSELIN
To the Soap Box:
Edward Gordon Craig, famous actor, critic,
director, and son of even more famous
Ellen Terry, died on the Riviera July 29
at the age of 9k» There is a long obitu-
ary notice in the NEW TORK TIMES of July
30 from which I quote the following passage:
"I have found the cure for insomnia,"
he said when he was 92. "Each night
when I go to bed I begin reading a
novel of P. G, Wodehouse, Five or
six pages, and I am asleep. I don't
want to say that Wodehouse puts me
to sleep because he is tiresome.
No, he is a fine writer and has
given me so much pleasure that I
know his books by heart. VJhen I open
one I feel comfortably at home, and
that feeling of contentment and ease
creeps over me and lulls me into
slumberland."
Wodehouse is still widely read. Just a
few weeks ago, two different persons wanted
to read all his books if they could get
them. There are 31 titles listed in the
General Reference Catalog, 57 titles in
the Branch catalogj k9 titles in Books in
Print, When I checked there were 26 Wode-
house items on the shelf in Branch Issue,
and nary a one on the shelves of Open
Shelf.
HARRY ANDREWS
CARE
An ALL-OUT DrivBll
A One-and-Only Appeal for 1966
Please help to make it
a reijarding one.
With YOUR cooperation
the Committee hopes
to send a sizeable
check to CARE in
November,
Your Staff Representative
will be happy to accept
your contribution
Give NCWl
COMMLTTEE ON CARE
Josephine Kelley,
Chairman
Uphams Corner Branch
N
^
/"
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF ASSOCIATION
TO
bestion
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARV'
OCTOBER 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Volume XXI, Number 9 October^ I966
Publications Committee: Margot Timson, Chairman; Harry Andrews; James Ford;
Evelyn Isaacs; Angelo Mammano; Mildred R. Semes, Artist;
Sarah M. Usher, Indexer; Kathleen Ward.
Publication Date: Deadline for submitting material:
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the caranon interests and the welfare of the
bibliothecal staff
(c) and to promote greater efficiency in library seirvice.
HOW I SHALL SPE?JD MY PAY RAISE WHEN IT COMES
The day arrives — a retroactive check and visions of an increased
pay check in the future. What luxuries do I want— better get the in-
cidentals over with first.
Cost-of-living is up almost 3% in Boston in less than a year. A
few dollars for food and a few dollars for rent and that vrill settle
that. Better put a few cents aside for the Sales Tax and more for the
increased federal taxes probably coming next year. I mast not forget
about the proposed increase in Social Security benefits which, of
course, will come out of my paycheck.
Now to total what is left $.1U I!l
What luxuries can I buy,
2 popsicles
2 packs of gum and four Bazooka Bubbie Gums
Almost three days overdue book fines
1^ bus rides
2 pencils
1 comic book
1 Danish roll
1 small package of Bobby Pins
PUBLICATICNS COMMITTEE
- 2 -
EDITORIAL POIMTS
(A new feature - any reactions?)
1. The September I966 Q.M. featured a
new section called BOUQUETS in which
several letters concerning staff accom-
plishments were printed. We have heard
via the grapevine many pros and cons.
Anybody care to write us about it?
2:. The branch news in the Q.M. is dwind-
ling.
3. Many complaints are heard about the
Coffee Shop. Is anything being done to
eleviate certain conditions?
U. Letters to the Q.M. , primarily the
SOAP BOX, will remain confidential. If
you feel a letter should have been
printed in the Q.M. , go to the Editor
immediately,
Sm Everyone is wondering what this new
administrative bulletin will contain,
6, Lack of interest in the Staff Associa-
tion is again showing. No one wants to
be an officer. Seems like most people
here want the dirty work done for them
and do not want to get involved,
7, Would department heads, chiefs, and
other staff members mind if the Q.M.
staff interviewed them occasionally on
pert ins nt subjects?
8, The cost-of-living has risen drastic-
ally enough for everyone to canplain
about it. Salary increases?
9, We are one library system. Ever
thought about how little central knows
about the branches and how little the
branches know about central?
10. Let's hear more frcm the staff: Much
is said in the coffee shop but very
little is written.
SCHOURSHIP MONEY
The Massachusetts Library Association
has scholarships available for full and
part-time library school students. One
scholarship of $$00 is now available.
Others will probably be available after
the first of the year. Loans up to $300
are also available.
The applicant must have an undergraduate
degree, be enrolled in an accredited li-
brary school, present grade transcripts,
and have two references. Information and
applications concerning these scholarships
may be obtained from Ruth M. Hayes, Coor-
dinator of Children's Services.
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
The monthly meeting of the Executive
Board was held on Friday, October 7.
At this meeting the Executive Board ac-
cepted the resignation of our correspond-
ing secretary, Marion McCarthy, and confirmee
her appointment as vice-president of the
Association, Miss McCarthy has agreed to
carry on the duties of corresponding sec-
retary \mtil a replacement can be found.
Harold Brackett was appointed chaiiman
of the nominating ccmmittee and he is
looking for members to serve with him on
this committee. This committee will have
the responsibility of recruiting members
to mn for the various offices of the
Association. Any member who is desirous
of running for office should canmunicate
with Mr, Brackett, Central Charging
Records,
Word has been communicated to the Presi-
dent that every effort possible is being
made by the Library toward implementing
a new salary scale. It is hoped that an
official notice will be forthcoming,
LOUIS POLISHOOK
LIBRARY VISITED BY MANUSCRIPT SOCIETY
On September l5, while in Boston for
their annual meeting, members of the Manu-
script Society visited the Boston Public
Library. The Director and Mr, Alden were
at the Library at 7:30 P.M, to greet them.
Ellen Shaffer, Head of the Rare Book De-
partment of The Free Library of Philadel-
phia, is the newly elected president of
the Society, the first woman to head the
group since its organization twenty years
ago. The Manuscript Society is &nter-
national and its members (numbering about
1,000) consist of private collectors,
scholars, archivists, curators, dealers
and interested amateurs. In addition to
collecting manuscripts, the Society's mem-
bers also are actively interested in the
care, maintenance and restoration of manu-
script materials,
MR, MCNIFF SPEAKS
Mr, McNiff was the guest speaker at a
Communion Breakfast of the Massachusetts
Catholic Daughters of America held at
Blinstrub's on Sionday, September 2$. His
topic was Libraries and Learning.
- 3 -
PERSONNEL NOTES
The new administrative bulletin will
take over the staff perscrinel notes. We
hope, however, not to abandon this column
but to make it more newsy, personal, and
interesting. We would like all news of
the staff — arrivals, illnesses, depar-
tures, etc. sent to the Q.M,
A sample of our new approach follows:
Joe O'Neil of Periodical looks like he
was attacked by 76 students all wanting
to know how to use the READERS' GUIDE.
Hope the knee heals fast,
Steve Miller of Book Selection has de-
parted for Paul Revere land and the
bridge that arched the flood. Best of
luck in Lexington, Steve. Better visit
to check on the Q.M.
Louisa Metcalf of Open Shelf is missing
these days. She is in Paris, and on to
Spain and Portugal. C'est la vie I
Mary Rae has returned from Europe, and
Tom Manning from Canada,
Hank Bosse left General Reference to
spend more time at Simmons, Why he
would want to do that is beyond us but
we are sure that he will study hard.
Helen Doyle's son is fast entering the
commercial art field and has had sever-
3X1
al offers to do the art work for* estab-
lishment on Beacon Street. He did sev-
eral paintings of Boston Patriots*
players and has offers to do more. He
is now starting to paint hockey playera
Beth Harvood is the new professional in
General Reference. She's the one with
the real southern drawl — Kay Martin's
losing hers. Beth is still overwhelmed
by the compactness of Boston and the
variety of things to do,
Mrs. Jaeger of Government Documents at-
tended the International Federation of
Libraries Association conference in the
Hague and is now in Poland.
Ginny Massey entered Cataloging this falL
She hails from Drexel and it's certain-
ly nice to hear about library schools
other than S .
GET THE IDEA. WE CAN'T INCLUDE ALL THIS
WAY BUT WILL DO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
SEND NEWS.
EVEMTS COMING UP
The itoiicipal Conferama of Boston will be
held November 17 and 18, in the Lecture Hall
Central Library. The theme for the con-
ferama is The Metropolis, U.S.A. — Past —
Present— Future and will have a variety of
panel members: Edmund L, McKamara, Thomas
Win ship, John F. Flsiherty and many others.
The six panels will be concerned with ser-
vicing the community, administration, bet-
ter government, home rule, juvenile de-
linquency, and the moving of city hall,
* *
The Children's Book Fair, Oct, 30-Nov. $
will be held in New England Life Hall.
Book exhibits and programs are the main
features, Ruth M, Hayes, Coordinator of
Children's Services, is the Book Selection
Committee Chairman.
A LIBRARIAN
By Joseph Harper
Ingredients
1 human being (either sex)
1 desire to serve
2 college degrees
1 library
1 opportvmity
1 salary
Directions:
Take one human being, fill generously
with the desire to serve. Add two college
degrees, provide opportunity to seek em-
ployment in one library. Sprinkle gener-
ously with adequate salary compensation,
add plenty of incentive to remain with the
library, smd you have a librarian.
P.S, The above recipe will not necessarily
guarantee you a librarian, but it does con-
tain all the necessary ingredients xdiich go
into the making of a librarian. This
au'jbhor does not assume responsibility for
the success or the failure of the above
recipe; that's up to the person and the li-
brary.
Have you shown that you still CARE?
U "
PRESIDMT'S COMMITTEE ON LIBRARIES AND
THE NATIONAL ADVISORY CQI#IISSI(3J (M
LIBRARIES
"What part can libraries play in the de-
velopment of our communications and infor-
mation-exchange networks?"
"Are our Federal efforts to assist li-
braries intelligently administered, or are
they too fragmented among separate pro-
grams and agencies?"
"Are we getting the most baixef it for the
taxpayer's dollar spent?"
The commission (established Sept. 2) and
composed of distinguished citizens and ex-
perts will appraise the role of libraries
keeping in mind the above questions and
will evaluate policies, programs, and
practices,
MRS. MARY M. BOWKER RETIRES
It was with great surprise that news of
the early retirement of the Children's Li-
brarian at Washington Village, Mrs, Mary
M, Bowker, was received by her many f riend^ERS
and co-workers. But the move was more
understandable when we discovered her rea-
son for retiring— a parcel of charming
grandchildren, the prospect of a delight-
ful trip abroad and of course her beauti-
ful garden. A farewell tea was held for
her at Washington Village on Wednesday,
September 28, We shall miss her there and
the lovely flowers with which she so gen-
erously brightened our rooms. We wish her
well in her new ventia*es.
H, L. L,
* *
After the Children's Librarian's meeting
cm Thursday, October 13, the librarians
also feted Mrs, Bowker with a coffee hour.
She was presented a corsage and a hot tray
to help her with her hostess duties which
all enjoy,
NEW ENGLAND CHILDRM'S BOOK CLDJIC
Pardon me if my prejudices are showing,
but it does sean that the Children's Ser-
vices divisions of library associations
have the most varied and enjoyable pro-
grams of anybody, in A.L.A., M.L-A.,
N.E.L.A. and on through the alphabet. The
most recent case in point were the pro-
ceedings at the New England Library Asso-
ciation conference at The Wentworth By-
the-sea, on Thursday, September l5. De-
spite the fact that the rains had bean
pouring for hours, there was a large at-
tendance gathered for the New England
Children's Book Clinic, which was held in
the Ship's Theatre at ten o'clock. The
clinic is usually a panel discussion, on
an assigned theme, by authors, illustrators,
reviewers and editors, followed by a ques-
tion period. The subject of this lively
session was. Is it for the children ? The
participants were: Paul Galdone, illus-
trator and creator of picture books, ^ho
has recently been concentrating on special
poems from American history, like PAUL
REVERE *S RIDE and THE STAR*6PANGLED BANNER j
Dorothy Shuttlesworth, a staff member of
New York's Museum of Natural History,
author of several distinguished books of
animal biology and entymology, whose latest
book is WILD LIFE OF SOUTH AMERICA; Nonny
Hogrogian, designer, illustrator, and win-
ner of this year's Caldecott Medal j and
Lavinia Russ, associate editor of PUBLISH*
' WEEKLY, whose breezy but pungent
notes on new children's books are such a
delight. Moderator of the program was
Louise R. Weiscopf of New England News
Company, the perfect sparkling hostess for
such occasions.
The highlight of the Fall meeting as the
Caroline; Hewins — Frederic G. Melcher Lec-
ture, vrtiich was presented this year by
Jane Manthome, Co-ordinator of Yoimg
Adult Services, Boston Public Library.
This program was graciously presided over
by Ruth M, Hayes, President of the Round
Table of Children's Librarians, N.E.L.A,,
and Co-ordinator of Children's Services,
Boston Public Library, Miss Manthome 's
subject was The Lachrymose Ladies , a study
of the three outstanding, most typical
writers of sentimental feminine fictional
fare of the late nineteenth century. These
were: Maria Cummins, best known for her
novel, THE LAMPLIGHTER, portraying the
fortunes of a homeless waif in the slums of
Boston; Susan Warner, whose THE WIDE, WIDE
TORLD was dear to Mid-Victorian girls in
both America and England; and Martha Fin-
ley, creator of the endless series of
stories about the priggish ELSIE DINSMORE,
Somewhat surprisingly, one of the features
of these stories irtiich gives them signifi-
cance. Miss Manthome pointed out, is that,
despite the sentimentality to be found in
-5 "
their tearstained pages, they might almost
be termed realistic novels. They were
true reflections of the society which pro-
duced them: the attitude towards minority
groups^ the dominance of the male, the ap-
parently subordinate position of women whq
though prone to weeping and swooning, man-
aged, nevertheless, to wield their subtle
influence. The Lachrymore Ladies was
clearly the product of thorough research,
couched in polished prose, delivered with
a dramatic, seriocomic flourish. Those
who could not attend the lecture can, how
ever, share the enjoyment of the audience
by reading the paper when it is published
in a forthccMing issue of The HORNBOOK
Magazine. Those who did hear it can look
forward to the renewal of a delightful ex-
perience.
In the late afternoon Little, Brown and
Company held a reception for Mrs, Virginia
Tashjian, one of the writers on their dis-
tinguished Fall list of children's books.
Mrs. Tashjian is the author of ONCE THERE
\ikS AND WAS NOT, Armenian folk tales
skillfully retold, and illustrated by
Nonny Hogrogian in true Armenian style and
colors. Mrs. Tashjian, a children's li-
brarian and storyteller from Newton, is
well known in children's library activi-
ties in the greater Boston area.
VERCWICA M. LEHANE
POINT OF VIEW
How large a part should libraries play
in community service? Should bibliothecal
activities stop id.th books, periodicals,
newspapers, and audio-visual materials, or
should it extend even further? One in-
stance of further ccmmunity senn.ce is the
recent exhibit in the Main Library concem-
ing the Theatre Company of Boston. Why
should a public library help to publicize
a drama company? Well, for one thing, it
shows interested members of the public
that the library is more than a cultural
repositoryj that it is aware of the cur-
rent events which after all will one day
be considered an important part of Boston
tustory. For another, it draws attention
to the library's own stock of dramatic
literature .
It may surprise some library employees
vO learn that many of our visitors come
lot to find some good novels for leisure
reading or to do last-minute research for
i paper that was due this morning, but
simply to enjoy our exhibits and paintings.
This can be attested to by the fact that
at least a dozen times a day the Music De-
partment is required to answer the question,
"Where can I find the Sargent Gallery?"(I)
Another project that should promote in-
terest and good-will (besides the afore-
mentioned theatre exhibit) is the November
opera exhibit. This exhibit will have
several purposes — to offer our own salute
to the ^era Company of Boston on the
occasion of the American premiere of
Schoenberg's MDSES AND ARQN, to submit a
necessarily miniscule look at Boston's
rich operatic past, and to display several
of the rare autograph manuscripts of
eighteenth and nineteenth — century scores
frcsn the Allen A. Brown Collection.
It is through cooperative efforts .such
as these that the library can perhaps form
closer ties with the city and its people.
ANGELO MAMMAKO
Sixth Annual
Children's Book Fair
New England Life Hall
October 30-'^ovember 5
Co-sponsors:
Boston Public Library
Boston HERALD TRAVELER
Massachusetts Department of Education
COME
~ Hear your favorite authors
- See the new fall books (and
the old favorites)
- Volunteer your services
4^0 i
«» b •-
premise behind that J We can have both
friendliness and progress, I'd like to
see it back to noraial and have a pleasant
normal day again I
YEARNING "PEACE"
To the Soap Box;
Any contribution to the Soap Box must
be acconpanied by the full name of the
Association member submitting it, togethei
with the name of the Branch Library, De-
partment, or Office in which he or she is
employed. The name is withheld from pub-
lication, or a pen name is used, if the !
contributor so requests. Anonymous con-
tributions are not given consideration.
The author of the article is known only tc
the Editor-in-Chief. The contents of the
articles appearing in the Soap Box are
personal opinions expressed by individual
Association members and their appearance
does not necessarily indicate that the
Publications Committee and the Association
are in agreement with the views expressed.
Only those contributions not containing
more than 300 words will be accepted.
May I have a sincere reply to these ques-
tions?
The employees of the City have been
given a raise in salary by the Mayor. Why
am I, a library employee, in the dark as
to its effects on my paycheck? Am I not
a city employee or is the library a sep-
arate entity?
The Mayor has said this raise will be
tangible in the near future. When will I
know if I shall or shall not see this
raise in my paycheck? What is holding
back a final desision? What are you bar-
gaining for? Or if a decision has been
made, may we please be given a definite
answer?
STILL WAITING
To the Editor:
Where are the salary raises? Could we
at least be enlightened by the Administra-
tion as to why it is taking so long?
NEAR POVERTY
To the Editor:
There must be a number of persons in the
Boston Public Library service \iho are well
qualified to be appointed to the position
of Branch Librarian. It seems- queer that
we have to import Branch Librarians from
out of state.
SATURDAY'S CHILD
Dear Soap Box:
Why do good things have to be spoiled?
The library has been a place that has had
congeniality and friendships among all em-
ployees (professional and not). It was a
joy to ccsne into work in the morning, get
a friendly hello from everyone and go
about doing a days work. What was the rea:!-
son for change in attitude to complaints
and bickering? Progress? I doubt the
To the Editor:
We have had plenty of non-progress re-
ports on the new building. How about some
non-progress reports on the salary raises?
IN THE DARK
To the Editor of the SOAP BOX:
Recently a position at the Central Li-
brary on the PU level was created and
filled xd.thout any announcement being made
that the position even existed. There
still has been no official announcement of
appointment to this position.
There is no question but that the method
in which this appointment was made is a
flagrant violation of the Boston Public
Library's Icmg established promotional
system.
It is difficult to understand how an Ad-
ministration which has voiced its belief in
the importance of intra-library cornmunica-
" 7
tion could make an appointment in the man-
ner in which this one was made.
WHAT NEXT
To the Soap Box:
The Administration deserves congratula-
tions for the bold, imaginative step of
placing the Officers-in-Charge right in
the middle of the worst trouble spot in
the Library's relations with the public.
The Center Disk has been for many years
the chief place where the general public,
students, and visitors discovered with
amazement and frustration the decline of
our usefulness as a library, with conse-
quent wide-spread, long-lasting damage to
our reputation. At a local bar, many
years ago, one man asked another what were
those names carved all aver the outer li-
brary walls, and was told that they were
the names of people who had died while
waiting for their books to be delivered.
The Officers-in-Charge — still young,
energetic, idealistic, and knowledgeable,
with sufficient administrative authority
to nudge the staff involved into their
best efforts, and, above all, with pro-
fessional know-how to see to it that the
public is reasonable and intelligent in
its demands, and that the bright young
freshman doesn't really need 20 books for
a "thesis" on Wordsworth — ^will do much to
restore public confidence in all oar per-
formances.
HARRY ANDREWS
To the Soap Box;
We are entering a period of prolonged
spatial austerity. The Library belongs
to the people. It is therefore inciBn-
bent upon us to make sure that a minimum
of this austerity is passed on to the
public, and the maximum to ourselves. Di-
ligent ferreting is necessary on the part
of the Administration to utilize all pos-
sible space for the service to the public
or the storing of books.
We have a large steady readership among
local old men and women. Their interests
in many things seem to be stilled, and all
their remaining passions concentrated on ;
the unravelings of fictitious plots.
They come clattering with their canes and
fumbling with their hearing aids, demand-
ing more and more whodunits. For these
people a large room on the main floor
should be made available. Perhaps the
Children's Room can go into the Lecture
Hall, and the space used for the combined
fiction collections of Open Shelf, Branch
Issue and the old PZ3's.
The late memorable Edith Guerrier, with
more branches and fewer gadgets, operated
for many years, and with great success,
the branch libraries from one comer of
the present Book Preparation Department,
It should be possible to riin them for the
duration from a couple of desks in the
Main Office, and the whole Mezzanine
floor turned over to the storage of the
books wildly mushrooming in the stacks.
HARRY ANDREWS
^ 8 -
It is in Process
We will look into It
A Program
Expedite
Channels
Consultant or Expert
To Activate
To Implement a Program
Under Consideration
Under Active Consideration
A Meeting
A Conference
To Negotiate
Re -Orientation
Reliable Source
Informed Source
Unimpeachable Source
A Clarification
Guide to Interpretation of
MODERN BUSINESS LANGUAGE
(Maybe Library language too?)
- So wrapped up in red tape that the situation is
almost hopeless.
- By the time the wheel makes a full turn, we assume
you will have forgotten about it too,
- Any assignment that can't be completed by one phone
call,
- To confound confusion with ccxnmotion,
- The trail left by Inter-Office memos.
- Any ordinary guy $0 miles frcan home.
- To make carbons and add more names to the memo,
- Hire more people and expand the office,
- Never heard of it,
-We're looking in the files for it,
- A mass milling of master minds,
- A meeting of individuals who individually can do
nothing, for the purpose of concluding that nothing
can be done,
- To seek a meeting of the minds without knocking
together heads,
- Getting used to work again,
- The guy you just met,
- The guy who told the guy you just met,
- The guy who started the rumor in the first place,
- To fill in the backgroimd with so many details that
the foreground goes undergroimd.
Let's get Together on This - I'm assuming that you're as confused as I am.
Give us the Benefit of your
present Thinking
- We'll listen to what you have to say as long as it
does'nt interfere with what we've already decided.
Will Advise You in Due Coxirse - If we figure it out, we'll let you know.
From The Gateway To The West, Systems Newsletter , March, I966, published
by the St, Louis Chapter of the Systems and Procedures Association,
and reprinted in SPIRIT OF ST, LOUIS, September, I966,
Vol. II, No. 5.
TO
uestion
THE BOSTON PUBLIC UBRARY
DECEMBER 1966
THE QUESTION MARK
Published by the Boston Public Library Staff Association
Volxime XXI, Number 11 December, 1966
Publications Committee: Margot Timson, Chairmanj Harry Andrews; James Ford;
Evelyn Isaacs; Angelo Mammano; Mildred R. Somes, Artist;
Sarah M. Usher, Ihdexer; Kathleen Ward.
Publication Date: Deadline for submitting material:
The fifteenth of each month The tenth of each month
It shall be the object of the Association
(a) to foster professional librarianship
(b) to further the common interests and the welfare of the
biblio thecal staff
(c) and to promote greater effiodency in library service
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
A meeting of the Executive Board of the Association was held on Friday,
December 16,
The Board voted to spend the sum of $13.75 to pay for the postage to send books
to libraries in Barbados and Nigeria, This was done by the Association in line with
its policy of doing all that it can to help provide books to the underprivileged.
The sum of $30,00 was authorized for the expenses of the Association Christmas
Party about which a notice has been distributed to the staff. In previous years,
excess money from the men's open house was turned over to the treasury of our
Association, This year it was felt that we could reverse the procedure and help
defray some of the expenses,
Edwin Sanford, History, was confirmed as the Chairman of the Elections
Committee; Joseph B, O'Neil, Coordinator of General Reference Services, Tsas confirmed
as Chairman of the Auditing Committee (with Louis O'Halloran as an alternate
candidate . )
The Executive Board amended the distribution policy of THE QUESTION MARK as
follows :
"The monthly bulletin shall be distributed only xd.thin the Boston
Public Library System, to members of the Board of Trustees, to
retired members of the staff who were members of the Boston
Public Library Staff Association at the time of their retirement,
and to former members of the Boston Public Library Staff Associ-
ation who request, and pay for, a subscription,"
The November issue was not mailed to those on the mailing list, because the
distribution policy didn't provide for such mailing.
The Editor informs us that she would welcome more questions, and that she has
been assured of prompt and complete answers. She feels that this is an opportunity
for the staff to clean up any inquiries which they nay have quickly and authorita-
tively. She also tells us that she would like contributions for her quarterly pub-
lication which is expected to be published on January 1$, 1967.
- 2 -
The officers of the Association wish to extend their best wishes for a happy-
holiday season to all of t-hs ma.TiberSo
LOUIS POLISHOOK
-;}• -K- * -X- -jt -;c-
SOAP BOX
To the Editor ;
Can the editor tell us why one group of staff members has been told not to use
the grill in the lunchroom? They were told by the Personnel Office that a notice
would not be sent out to the rest of the staff because they, this group, were the
only ones who used the grill to any extent. They were told by the Personnel Office
that the reason for this order was "because somebody complained". They weren't told
what the nature of the complaint was.
Can the Editor find out what we did wrong? And why one complaint brought about
this order which involves eight people?
And can the Editor tell us why the grill is still in the lunchroom?
LAROUSSE
Answer to Question ;
The Editor contacted the Personnel Office which reported that the non-use of
the grill (except for toasting sandwiches) in the lunchroom applies to all the
Library staff, not just eight people involved. It was thought that this point was
made clear. The Personnel Office contacted the Buildings Department which stated
that under the present circiimstances of poor ventilation in the lunchroom no cooking
of food causing great Oder can be undertaken. Only toasting of bread is allowed,
P.S. Editor's Note ; At the last Staff Association Meeting it was
noted that plans are underway for a grill to
be installed for the concessionaire. Proper
ventilation facilities will be installed.
■3<- -SJ- -Jf- •?!•■«■ *
THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE QUESTION MARK EXTENDS SEASON'S GREETINGS TO ALL,
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
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